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Cell Power: Sprint CEO Dan Hesse Dan Hesse, CEO, Sprint Nextel Sprint wants to be recognized as the green leader in the wireless industry, says CEO Dan Hesse in this return visit to Climate One. Hesse warns against the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile and announces the release of the fourth phone in Sprint\u2019s green series, the Samsung Replenish. \u201cAs we meet here today,\u201d Hesse says, \u201cthe innovative power of the wireless industry is under serious threat\u201d by the proposed AT&T acquisition of T-Mobile. Much had already been written about the possible implications of the move for consumers and pricing, he says, \u201cbut to my surprise, very little attention had been paid to its potential impact on the wireless industry\u2019s ability to foster innovation\u201d \u2013 including innovation in the green space. \u201cWireless technology helps consumers by providing new ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle,\u201d says Hesse. Take telecommuting. Just 3.9% of Americans regularly work outside the office, he says, even though wireless technology gives them access to the same information at their office desks. Hesse says Sprint is also working to address one of the industry\u2019s lingering dilemmas: waste. Just 10% of mobiles phones are recycled each year in the United States, he says, meaning some 140 million phones end up in landfills. In 2008, Sprint set a goal to recycle 90% of the phones it sells. The new Samsung Replenish \u201cis as green as we could make it,\u201d says Hesse \u2013 energy-efficient, housed in recycled plastics, and made from 82% recyclable materials. In an effort to \u201ctake green really mainstream,\u201d Hesse says, Sprint is lowering the monthly rate for the Replenish by $10 per month. The green moves and others \u2013 including connecting ECOtality\u2019s Blink electric vehicle charging network, purchasing wind energy for its corporate headquarters, and upgrading the energy efficiency of its network \u2013 are done to improve the company\u2019s brand, Hesse says, but also to motivate employees. \u201cThe thing about green is your people want to make it. They\u2019re excited and love the fact that this is what we\u2019re really focusing on, and that we have made it to a goal they care about,\u201d Hesse says. \u201cI\u2019ve had zero pushback in getting people aligned and wanting to do it.\u201d This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California, San Francisco on April 15th, 2011\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices