James Gowen, Chief Sustainability Officer of Verizon, joins “Green is Good” to discuss the iconic phone service provider’s sustainability initiatives. One particular advancement the company has launched is its green set-top box, which provides a 30% energy-efficiency increase with a vastly expansive entertainment experience. The box even comes in 100% recyclable (made of 75% post-consumer waste) packaging. Gowen also mentions the importance of making Verizon customers and employees aware that their actions do matter. The company recently started no-cost e-waste recycling events for its employees, and the success has been unbelievable, expanding to six different areas around the country in its first six months. Verizon has collected more than 1 million old phones for recycling in the last year. “We have kept over 40,000 pounds of material out of landfills, and we’ve opened it up to communities,” Gowen says. “A big part of Verizon is the communities we work in.” Gowen says Verizon will expand the recycling events to six more locations this year.