Photo: Sprint

Sprint announced that it will require all new phones to go through third-party testing to improve repairability, recyclability and energy efficiency.

The testing criteria for materials used, energy efficiency, sustainability and performance are developed by UL Environment, a product certification firm. Sprint is encouraging phone manufacturers to increase their use of modular design, which will improve both the repairability and recyclability of devices, to meet the testing criteria.

Sprint will also improve the its phones’ packaging by decreasing packaging material, eliminating plastic laminate, printing with vegetable-based or low-VOC (violate organic compound) inks, using water-based and/or eco-friendly adhesives, and using recycled fiber and post-consumer waste.

Read more about Sprint’s 2012 sustainability initiatives, visit the company’s corporate responsibility page or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter.