Santa Maria Verizon Wireless Store Receives EPA's Coveted ENERGY STAR® Rating

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Santa Maria, California has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR®, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The Santa Maria store is the 100th Verizon Wireless retail store to receive the ENERGY STAR® certification, the most of any wireless retailer.

"Sustainability is a priority for consumers and businesses now more than ever," said Kevin Zavaglia, region president for Verizon Wireless. "Environmental stewardship is ingrained in Verizon's heritage, and we pride ourselves on making a positive difference on the environment in which we operate."

The Communications Store located at 570 E Betteravia Road in Santa Maria uses ENERGY STAR® equipment, high efficiency lighting and HVAC systems, as well as water conserving fixtures and environmentally friendly interior finishes. In addition, many materials installed in the store, including ceiling tiles, flooring and display fixtures, contain recycled content.

Additional energy-saving initiatives include calibrating thermostats, optimizing start up time and equipment sequencing, limiting after hours usage and adjusting ventilation 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 rating. 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.

In addition to its focus on building eco-friendly facilities, Verizon Wireless collects no-longer-used wireless phones and equipment in stores through its HopeLine® phone recycling program. More than 260 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills through the program, and recycling generates revenue the company awards as grants to domestic violence service providers. Since the launch of the national recycling program in October 2001, nearly two million phones have been disposed of in an environmentally sound way and more than 170,000 pounds of batteries were recycled through the HopeLine and Call2Recycle™ programs.

For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 108.7 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 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.

About The EPA's ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless