Of the 1.9 billion mobile phones shipped worldwide in 2014, few will be recycled. Used electronics, including smartphones, represent one of the largest and fastest growing waste types around the globe. Yet with the emergence of the circular economy, innovative companies are stepping up and reusing, refurbishing and recycling products that would most likely be discarded, lessening their organization’s environmental impact and strengthening their bottom line.
Join this webinar to hear Darren Beck, Director of Environmental Initiatives at Sprint, share both the successes and challenges of applying closed-loop strategies to Sprint’s business. Then, the three finalists of the Smartphone Encore Challenge will share their winning ideas for upcycling old smartphones in new and profitable ways.
You’ll walk away understanding the potential of the circular economy in the electronics industry, and perhaps be inspired to revolutionize an industry yourself!
Darren is responsible for driving innovation at Sprint that helps reduce environmental impact while enhancing the company’s reputation and its bottom line. He achieves this by advising a range of operational working teams at Sprint focused on areas such as device recycling, sustainable packaging, waste reduction, water conservation, responsible procurement, and “winning with corporate responsibility” in business sales. Darren also is developing an innovation pipeline for Corporate Responsibility (CR). He works with partners inside and outside the company to identify “shared value” opportunities that generate new streams of revenue for Sprint while helping to create a better world. He has a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Kansas and brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, business development, strategy and corporate responsibility to his current role. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenBeck for the latest news on Sprint sustainability.