Proceeds from collected cellphones will benefit National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NEW YORK, October 11, 2004 – Starting today, Americans can protect the environment while helping a worthwhile children’s charity during the first-ever National Cell Phone Recycling Week. Call2Recycle™, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation’s (RBRC) cellphone recycling program, and RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) are encouraging consumers to drop off their old cellphones at local RadioShack locations across the nation to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC).
The issue of cellphone recycling is of growing importance, because according to the Yankee Group, Inc., more than 100 million cellphones will be replaced with newer, more feature-rich phones this year alone. By recycling old cellphones, consumers can help keep unwanted materials out of landfills and preserve natural resources.
Phones collected through the Call2Recycle program will be refurbished and resold when possible. This year for every cellphone collected at a RadioShack store location, and subsequently refurbished and resold, $1 will be contributed to the NCMEC.
“Cell phones always change, but our mission never does,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. “We believe that this partnership with RadioShack and the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation will go a long way toward assisting us in our efforts to prevent child abduction and exploitation.”
In mid 2003, RadioShack joined forces with NCMEC to create StreetSentz, an initiative designed to provide tools and education to families about ways to keep children safer from abduction, violence and exploitation. Since its inception, StreetSentz has reached more than 850,000 children with ID kits and family safety brochures printed in English and Spanish.
“As the leading retailer of wireless communications products in the U.S., we facilitate thousands of wireless battery and handset sales each day,” said Lou Provost, senior vice president and chief channel operations officer for RadioShack. “In many of those transactions, the old battery and handset is kept by the customer, but seldom ever used again. Bottom line, if a customer buys a new handset or has an old one they are no longer using, they should visit one of our 7,000 neighborhood RadioShack stores and contribute it to Call2Recycle to benefit two great causes.”
Since 1994, RBRC has collected over 22 million pounds of rechargeable batteries – those found in a growing list of portable electronics products including cellphones, as well as power tools, cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders and remote control toys. RadioShack has been involved in RBRC’s rechargeable battery collection program since 1995 and has been a leading participant ever since.
“Along with our mission to help the environment, RBRC strongly believes in the importance of giving back to the community,” said Ralph Millard, executive vice president of RBRC. “We are honored to partner with RadioShack, which is likewise committed to community issues. Because child abduction and exploitation is something that affects all communities, NCMEC is an obvious choice to benefit from the Call2Recycle program.”
Concurrent with the Call2Recycle initiative, RadioShack also announced it is making its free StreetSentz Child ID kits, developed in conjunction with the NCMEC, available in its stores during October to help families record and maintain important information about their children in one handy location.
National Cell Phone Recycling Week will take place October 11-18th, however the RadioShack/NCMEC program will continue throughout 2005. Consumers can find the nearest participating drop off location by calling 1-877-2-RECYCLE or by visiting www.call2recycle.org. Consumers may also contact 1-800-The Shack or www.radioshack.com. All wireless phones, regardless of condition, will be accepted.
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About RadioShack Corporation
Fort Worth-based RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is the nation’s most trusted consumer electronics specialty retailer of wireless communications, electronic parts, batteries and accessories as well as other digital technology products and services. With nearly 7,000 outlets nationwide, it is estimated that 94 percent of all Americans live or work within five minutes of a RadioShack store or dealer. The company’s knowledgeable sales associates and brand position – “You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Answers.®” –support RadioShack’s mission to demystify technology in every neighborhood in America. For more information on the company, visit the RadioShack Corporation Web site at www.radioshackcorporation.com. For more information on RadioShack products and services, visit its e-commerce Web site at www.radioshack.com.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which serves as a national clearinghouse for information and a resource for child protection. It works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC’s congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 270,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 100,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 85,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, please visit www.missingkids.com or call 1-800-THE-LOST.
About Call2Recycle®
Call2Recycle is the industry’s first and only product stewardship program for rechargeable batteries. The nonprofit program is administered by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a public service organization dedicated to rechargeable battery recycling. There are more than 30,000 Call2Recycle drop-off locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. More than 175 manufacturers and marketers of portable rechargeable batteries and products show their commitment to conserve natural resources and prevent rechargeable batteries from entering the solid waste stream by funding the Call2Recycle program. In pursuit of its mission, Call2Recycle also collects old cellphones, which are either recycled or refurbished and resold when possible with a portion of the proceeds benefiting select charities. For more information, call 877-2-RECYCLE or visit www.call2recycle.org.
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