Verizon Wireless Makes it Easy for New Yorkers to Make Everyday Earth Day

ORANGEBURG, N.Y., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 130 million cell phones will be retired this year and fewer than 20 percent of those phones will be recycled. Verizon Wireless, the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones, wants to boost that percentage by making it easier than ever for residents and businesses to recycle no-longer-used wireless phones.

Through its HopeLine(R) phone recycling program, the company collects old wireless phones and gives them a second life. The phones are refurbished, recycled or sold and the proceeds are donated to domestic violence advocacy groups or used to purchase wireless phones and service for survivors. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

In celebration of Earth Day, grassroots organizations, elected officials, the New York City Department of Sanitation and retail giant Macy's have joined Verizon Wireless to hold HopeLine phone recycling drives during April, accepting phones at various events and locations throughout the region.

-- Macy's is collecting phones in the women's department and in its store managers' offices in 160 locations in the Northeast. For a store near you, visit macys.com and use the store locations option. -- In Queens, State Senator Frank Padavan is collecting phones at his district offices located at 89-39 Gettysburg Street, Bellerose, NY and 150-26 14th Avenue in Whitestone. Bellerose office hours are from 9am to 5pm, Monday thru Friday. Whitestone office hours are from 9am to 1pm, Monday thru Friday. For more information constituents can call 718-343-0255 or 718-746-2550. -- The New York City Department of Sanitation's Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling is partnering with Verizon Wireless at its annual Electronics Recycling and Clothing Donation events this spring. The agency already has held collections in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island and will hold similar events in Queens and Brooklyn in the coming weeks. To date nearly 9,000 people have recycled more than 900 pounds of phones. For more information and locations visit http://www.nyc.gov/wasteless. -- The Environmental Conference by the African American Men of Westchester held its first HopeLine drive on April 11 and will continue to collect phones at the Theodore Young Community Center, 32 Manhattan Avenue and at the White Plains Housing Authority, 223 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in White Plains throughout the month.

HopeLine accepts wireless phones and accessories in any condition from any manufacturer or service provider for reuse and recycling.

"HopeLine was created more than 10 years ago as a means for Verizon Wireless to put its products and services to work to help survivors of domestic violence and help the environment at the same time," said Pat Devlin, president of Verizon Wireless' New York Metro Region. "Locally, HopeLine's direct and in-kind donations total nearly $900,000 including more than $150,000 to the New York City Family Justice Center Initiative."

Verizon Wireless makes it easy for anyone to hold a phone collection drive in their local community, school or workplace. The company supplies collection boxes, posters, brochures and more free-of-charge to individuals and organizations interested helping save the environment and possibly save the life of a domestic violence victim. For more information e-mail hopelinecontactus@verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 65.7 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, with 69,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.