CTIA Goes Green

For many years, CTIA has undergone efforts to reduce the amount of waste that our events produce by delivering exhibitor and attendee materials electronically, reusing exhibit materials and graphics whenever possible; and working with our host facilities to utilize biodegradable products in the concession areas when possible.

CTIA is pleased to be doing even more and partnering with our exhibitors and vendors to become more environmentally responsible.

Look for the Green leaf logo throughout our show website and be sure to check out Informa's "Green Telecom & IT Summit" at this year's convention.

Current Efforts | Wireless – The New Recyclable

Current Efforts:

• Went from a three part badge (badge holder, badge and lead retrieval swipe card) to a single card that is recyclable.
• Reduced the number of attendee print materials by distributing materials electronically and moving toward virtual brochures.
• Promoted the use of mobile applications onsite as a means for distributing information and reducing the amount of paper waste
• Printed materials such as brochures and show guides are being printed on recycled and FSC certified paper. By doing this with the CTIA WIRELESS 2008 show guide, the environmental savings were:
        ¤ Wood Use: 95 Trees Saved
        ¤ Total Energy: 66 million BTUs less energy consumed
        ¤ Greenhouse Gases: 9,464 lbs. less of C02 equivalent 
        ¤ Wastewater: 34,888 fewer gallons of water consumed 
        ¤ Solid Waste: 5,092 less pounds of sold waste
• Drastically reduced the number of paper press kits distributed at the shows through our partnership with the Virtual Press Office who powers the Official CTIA Online Media Center and distributes online press kits.
• Nearly all exhibitor materials and information are distributed electronically including the exhibitor service order kit; CTIA was among the first to distribute the SOK electronically and eliminating the large binder.
• CTIA is pleased to work with Freeman who has implemented an impressive program of green practices: 
        ¤ Began a carpet recycling program that resulted in recycling of 2 million
        yards of used carpet in the 1st year alone 
        ¤ Strive to mount graphics on reusable materials instead of printing on foam
        core or other non-reusable materials 
        ¤ MIS system is reusable—when unable to be reused, all aluminum and
        steel exhibit components are recycled 
        ¤ Strongly encouraging manufacturers of large-format graphics production
        machines to develop eco-solvent ink; currently working with a manufacturer
        to beta-test a program using green solvent inks 
        ¤ Began recycling those large-format printer ink cartridges in 2007
        (1,500 or more a year can be recycled) 
        ¤ 70% of floor vehicles use LP natural gas vs. gasoline which
        lowers emissions 
        ¤ Working to make available to exhibitors a greater variety of eco-friendly
        exhibit materials such as: 
              » Cardboard style wastebaskets made of recycled materials
              (available now) 
              » Bamboo based materials 
              » Banner materials that has water-based components and do
              not contain extractable heavy metals or carcinogenic or allergenic
              components
  
  Click here to learn more about Freeman’s green practices.
  

• Working with our convention facilities and convention center partners to ensure that:
        ¤ bottles and cans as well as paper recycling bins are available throughout 
        ¤ all "to go" serveware at snack stations is fully compostable [please use specifically marked compost bins ONLY when disposing these] 
        ¤ Unwanted mixed paper is collected and sorted for recycling BEFORE
        it enters the waste management system; At CTIA WIRELESS 2008
        we worked with Greenervegas.org to recycle 18,780 lbs of paper,
        which has saved: 
              » 160 trees (Newspaper for 328 years ) 
              » 65 Barrels of Oil (Gasoline for the family car for 11 months) 
              » 65,730 Gallons of Water (Enough to wash the car 1,315 times)
              » 37,560 Kilowatts of Energy (Enough to power the refrigerator for
              13.9 years)
  
  Click here for details on Moscone Center’s sustainability programs.

Wireless – The New Recyclable

CTIA – The Wireless Association® and its member companies are committed to the goal of sustainable development and the environmentally sound management of end-of-life wireless products. CTIA’s members that manufacture mobile devices are continually designing their products to be smaller, lighter and ever-more environmentally friendly. For example, handset manufacturers are phasing out the use of cadmium and lead.

CTIA and its member companies have also designed and launched a comprehensive national recycling program, Wireless…The New Recyclable™, a program pursuant to which companies collect used mobile devices, recycle or refurbish them, and raise consumer awareness of the fact that their used mobile devices are in fact recyclable products.
Go to http://www.recyclewirelessphones.com for more information!