
"You can’t be in our industry, put the amount of product into the market that we do, and not think through the full lifecycle," said Fared Adib, senior vice president of product development and reverse logistics. "We’re proud that we’ve been recognized as having the industry’s leading buyback program despite our No. 3 position in the market – and we believe these efforts will contribute to Sprint’s long-term success."
Other top cell phone carriers have buyback or trade-in programs
What about other U.S. cell phone carriers? All the other top carriers have buyback or trade-in programs. AT&T, the top carrier, has a Trade In Program which allows customers to bring in cell phones, accessories and batteries, regardless of the carrier or manufacturer, to an AT&T store for recycling. Customers who bring in their unwanted phones receive an AT&T Promotion Card that can be used towards the purchase of another phone or other AT&T products, or the value can be donated to a charity. Verizon has a Wireless Trade In Program that is similar to AT&T's program. Customers are able to bring their unwanted cell phones to a Verizon store and receive a gift card in exchange. T-Mobile's trade-in program currently has a limited online offer that allows customers to trade-in old phones for a prepaid Visa card. Customers who buy a T-Mobile phone with either a two-year agreement or a $50 monthly 4G plan are eligible. Customers can get quotes on their old cell phones through the company's website and print out shipping labels. Image credit: Flickr user, compujeramey
Gina-Marie is a freelance writer and journalist armed with a degree in journalism, and a passion for social justice, including the environment and sustainability. She writes for various websites, and has made the 75+ Environmentalists to Follow list by Mashable.com.