• Company’s green practices include recycling wireless devices, batteries and accessories through its HopeLine program
• Verizon Wireless named Top Green IT company by IDG Computerworld
LAUREL, MD — The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Columbia, Maryland is among the first wireless retail stores to rate in the top 25 percent of commercial facilities for energy efficiency and to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR®, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The Columbia store is one of more than 47 Verizon Wireless retail stores nationwide to receive the ENERGY STAR label.
“The changes we have implemented in our stores are significant because they impact our business, the environment and our ability to provide customers with an industry-leading experience,” said Mike Maiorana, regional president for Verizon Wireless in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. “By being more energy efficient, we can keep operating costs down and redirect those resources to improve the customer experience.”
The Communications Store located at 9021 Snowden Square Dr. in Columbia replaced incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps and installed light-emitting diode (LED) exit signs and motion sensors to activate lighting in portions of the store that are not in constant use, such as the storage room and back offices. In addition, the store’s entire lighting and display systems are controlled by a digital timer system to ensure that lights turn off when the store is closed to avoid energy waste.
Additional energy-saving initiatives included insulating the water heater and piping and replacing the service bay doors with energy efficient glass to reduce the loss of heated or cooled air.
The EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-to-100 point scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher and occupies 5,000 square feet or more is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The EPA’s ENERGY STAR is yet another recognition of Verizon Wireless’ ongoing commitment to environmentally friendly Green practices. In 2008, Verizon Wireless was the only wireless carrier named to IDG Computerworld's first-ever list of top Green-IT Companies. Research firm Frost & Sullivan also awarded the company with its 2008 Green Excellence of the Year Award in the Corporate Leadership category for the telecom services industry.
In addition, Verizon Wireless helps the environment and survivors of domestic violence through its HopeLine® program. Verizon Wireless collects no-longer-used wireless phones and equipment from any wireless service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones, Verizon Wireless donates cash grants, wireless phones and airtime to non-profit domestic violence agencies for use by survivors. Through HopeLine, 6.7 million phones have been collected and either refurbished or properly disposed of in an environmentally sound way. More than 200 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills since 2001.
For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizonwireless.com.
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