Macon County, Illinois Residents Urged to Donate Unwanted Wireless Phones to County-Wide Recycling Program

DECATUR, IL — To commemorate Earth Day and benefit local domestic violence victims, Suburban Disposal and Recycling and the City of Decatur today announced a unique collaboration with Verizon Wireless to reduce landfill waste by collecting and recycling no-longer-used wireless phones.

The recycling effort is an extension of Verizon Wireless' HopeLine^SM program, which collects no-longer-used wireless handsets to be recycled, refurbished and/or sold. Proceeds from this effort make it possible for Verizon Wireless to donate handsets with airtime and/or monetary contributions to domestic violence organizations.

"Verizon Wireless routinely works with local and national domestic violence agencies to put wireless phones in the hands of victims trying to escape their abusers," said Tracy Nolan, president —Illinois/Wisconsin Region, Verizon Wireless. "In 2003 alone, the company's HopeLine initiative collected 900,000 wireless phones and donated to domestic violence organizations $3.7 million in monetary and other contributions, including more than 6,000 phones for victims."

To further recognize Earth Day week, Suburban Disposal and Recycling will allow residents to include unwanted cell phones with their other recyclables for curbside pick-up from April 19-23. Suburban is the first-known waste management company in Illinois to offer curbside wireless phone recycling — even on a temporary basis.

After April 23, residents may deposit their unwanted wireless phones and accessories — regardless of manufacturer or carrier — to the permanent HopeLine bin at Suburban's recycling facility, located at 190 W. North St. (off Route 121) in Warrensburg, Ill. Besides Decatur, Verizon Wireless has collaborated with several communities in the Midwest to place HopeLine bins at local recycling centers. The company hopes these new wireless phone drop-off locations offer citizens one-stop recycling convenience while also fostering public interest in domestic violence issues.

"Our collaboration on this program is a great example of how business and community can work together for a common cause," said Eddie Williams, president of Suburban Disposal and Recycling. "By supporting the HopeLine effort, we can help make the Earth a little greener while directly helping those attempting to escape an abusive relationship."

Wireless handsets and equipment may be donated at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store and at participating community recycling centers, or they may be sent to:

Verizon Wireless HopeLine
C/o ReCellular, Inc
2555 Bishop Circle W.
Dexter, MI 48130

To obtain a tax deduction receipt, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 37.5 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.  

About HopeLine
Verizon Wireless encourages customers who are upgrading their wireless phone to participate in its exclusive HopeLine phone recycling program. The national HopeLine program distributes previously owned wireless phones to victims of domestic violence, supports non-profit domestic violence advocacy groups and provides an environmentally safe method of recycling phones. Donations are accepted at all 1,200-plus Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the country. For additional information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

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