Honoring Earth Today and Every Day
As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of the importance of environmental stewardship. At AT&T we know the future depends on the well-being of our planet.
Some of the ways we are working to help safeguard that well-being include focusing on our mobile device packaging, providing customers with information to help them make purchasing decisions based on environmental and social manufacturing criteria, and providing energy efficient set top boxes.
Buying a new mobile device is exciting. Most of the time we open the box, throw it to the side and grab the shiny piece of technology wrapped up inside. AT&T, however, puts a lot of thought into that packaging and, starting this month, packaging for most AT&T branded smartphones, tablets and wearables will undergo several changes to help lessen environmental impacts.
Among other things, paper used in the new packaging is manufactured with 100% renewable energy and is 100% chlorine free. The packaging has average post-consumer recycled content of 80%, which is estimated to save more than 12,000 trees a year, and the box and packaging are 100% curbside recyclable.
Also, with this new initiative phones that are part of this initiative and produced overseas are now packaged in the U.S. The bulk shipping of these phones from overseas and packaging them in the U.S. is estimated to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions by 30%.[1] The new packaging debuts on April 21 with the launch of the Galaxy Express Prime 2.
And, AT&T we are thinking about more than device packaging. When shopping for a new mobile device, it’s easy to compare cost, technology, and appearance. But what about the environmental and social impact of how the device is made?
We developed the AT&T Eco-Rating system to provide customers with an easy way to understand some of the environmental and social factors associated with the manufacture of the mobile devices, tablets and devices that carry the AT&T brand. Devices are evaluated and awarded up to 5 stars, based on 20 criteria in 5 key areas:
- Substances of concern
- Environmentally preferred materials
- Energy efficiency and charging
- End-of-life and recycling
- Environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing
With this information, customers can make informed purchasing decisions that line up with their values.
And, this year, AT&T was named a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award winner for our continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. The recognition (one of several consecutive ENERGY STAR awards received by AT&T and DTV) highlights our set-top box innovation – combining cutting-edge technology with high energy efficiency standards. 100% of set-top boxes purchased this year by AT&T are ENERGY STAR certified. This certification means they are, on average, 32% more efficient than conventional models.[2]
Earth Day is one day a year, but our efforts at AT&T are year-round. To learn more about AT&T’s environmental sustainability efforts, check out att.com/csr/planet.
[1] According to calculations: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools, based on comparison to previous Postpaid packaging manufactured overseas
[2] https://www.energystar.gov/products/electronics/set_top_boxes_cable_boxes
