ATLANTA, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Earth Day April 22, Verizon Wireless encourages Georgians to recycle no-longer-used wireless phones in an environmentally and socially friendly way by donating them to the company's HopeLine program. Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program is a national phone recycling effort that recycles old phones in an environmentally sound way and puts phones that can be refurbished in the hands of domestic violence victims in Georgia.  Often times a communications connection such as a wireless phone can mean the difference between life and death for someone in a violent situation.

In the last eight years, 962 Georgians have lost their lives due to domestic violence. According to the Georgia Commission on Family Violence's and the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence's 2010 DV Fatality Review Report, Georgia ranks 10th in the country for its rate at which men kill women in single-victim homicides, most of which are domestic violence murders.

"We are asking all Georgians to clean out their drawers and donate old cell phones to HopeLine this Earth Day. This simple action could make a big difference to someone in a violent situation. Wireless phones and technology can serve as a vital link to emergency or support services in a time of crisis or as a reliable, safe connection to employers, family and friends as domestic violence survivors rebuild their lives," says Jeff Mango, president of Verizon Wireless' Georgia/Alabama Region. "We also are committed to being responsible to the earth. Environmental stewardship is ingrained in Verizon's heritage. The company prides itself on having a positive influence on the environment in which it operates and on the communities in which we live and work."

Via the HopeLine cell phone recycling program, Verizon Wireless has properly disposed of 1.7 million no-longer-used phones and kept more than 210 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills. For every 5,000 phones that are recycled 11,000 kilowatt hours of energy are saved – enough energy to power one U.S. household with electricity for an entire year.

No-longer-used wireless phones and accessories can be returned to any Verizon Wireless company-owned store or via mail. Donating a phone via mail to Verizon Wireless' HopeLine Program can be done in four easy steps:

1. Turn the phone's power off
2. Make sure the phone's batteries are installed.  Do not return loose batteries.
3. Remove storage and SIM cards and include any accessories such as car chargers.
4. Seal and affix the postage-paid label found online to the package and drop it in the mail.

In addition to phone recycling with HopeLine, Verizon Wireless offers Georgians other ways to go green this Earth Day:

• Use a power strip for wireless phone chargers and make sure to switch it off when everything has been charged so you don't use "phantom" energy.
• Improve battery life and reduce the need for charging by changing the settings of your wireless phone or PDA's backlighting.
• Save paper by signing up for Verizon Wireless' paperless Green Bill and eliminate the monthly bill in your mailbox.
• Use VZNavigator to find the most direct route to a destination and save on fuel costs. Customers can also get the traffic summary so they don't waste gas while stuck in traffic.
• Use Fuel Finder to find the least expensive gas in the area.
• Download the Go Green App which offers quizzes and simple steps to become more environmentally friendly.

To learn more about other green initiatives by Verizon Wireless, visit http://aboutus.vzw.com/Green_Initiative/overview.html.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE,NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE,NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless