BJ's Wholesale Clubs Joins With Verizon Wireless to Recycle Used Cell Phones In 2007

BJ's Wholesale Clubs and Verizon Wireless today announced that no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories will be collected at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores within BJ's Wholesale Clubs throughout New York State beginning this week.

The move expands the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® phone recycling program to 33 BJ's locations, including a dozen clubs in the New York Metro area.

In recognition of the New York State law, effective January 1, 2007, requiring wireless phone retailers to accept and recycle old cell phones, and to encourage even greater participation in HopeLine recycling, Verizon Wireless will donate $5, up to a maximum of $25,000, to local domestic violence shelters and advocacy groups for each wireless phone donated at BJ's locations or any Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in New York this month.

New York residents and visitors can donate old wireless phones, batteries and accessories of any make or model, from any wireless carrier, at HopeLine wireless phone recycling kiosks at the following BJ's locations:

* In Queens, in Middle Village and College Point

* In Brooklyn, on Gateway Drive

* On Long Island, in Freeport, Levittown, Westbury, Farmingdale,
Riverhead, Islandia and East Setauket.

* In Westchester County, in Yorktown Heights

* In Rockland County, in West Nyack

Wireless phone donations also continue to be accepted at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in New York State and across the country.

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones and has done so since January 1999 -- first in New York and then across the US. The company's objective was two-fold: to protect the environment and to use the proceeds from recycling and selling older wireless phones to assist survivors of domestic violence.

Domestic violence awareness and education is Verizon Wireless' chief community focus. Since 1999, the company's HopeLine program has collected more than 3.5 million wireless phones, and given $2 million in cash grants and nearly $10 million in wireless phones and service to domestic violence organizations. Phones that cannot be refurbished are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

In addition to a successful phone recycling program and funding for non- profit domestic violence organizations, HopeLine includes free wireless service and voice mailboxes for survivors, community and corporate awareness initiatives, and a bilingual "Invest in Yourself" program designed to help survivors re-enter the workforce.

For BJ's Wholesale Club locations visit http://www.bjs.com/locations. For Verizon Wireless Communications Store locations or to order a phone donation kit by mail, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About BJ's Wholesale Clubs

BJ's introduced the warehouse club concept to New England in 1984 and has since expanded to become a leading warehouse chain in the eastern United States. The Company currently operates 165 BJ's Wholesale clubs and two ProFoods Restaurant Supply clubs. BJ's press releases and filings with the SEC are available on the Internet at http://www.bjs.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 57 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, with 60,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ - News) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD - News News). Find more information on the Web at http://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 http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.


Source: Verizon Wireless