Sprint and Cadbury will switch to more environmentally friendly packaging for a series of products as part of an effort to save tons of steel, waste and millions of dollars, the companies announced today.

Sprint's introduction of greener packaging for its entire wireless accessory line will save the company roughly $2.1 million annually and avoid 647 tons of waste each year.

The recyclable casing is 20 percent to 40 percent smaller than previous iterations and phases out PVC in the clamshell, petroleum-based inks for soy- and vegetable-based inks, and uses paperboard certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company said it would also ship accessories to customers in a packaging air pillow that contains less resin and is compostable.

Some of the products that will sport the new packaging include the Blackberry Tour Holster, Samsung Instinct HD Protective Carry Wallet, Palm Micro USB VPA and Micro-USB Vehicle Power Charger.

This follows Sprint's recent announcement that it would include separate sections in its company-owned stores that will display greener products and accessories, such as its solar-powered charger and Reclaim cell phone, which it touts as the nation's first phone made partly with corn-based bio-plastic.

Meanwhile, Cadbury will abandon its customary round metal tins in favor of square, recyclable cardboard boxes for its Roses and Heroes chocolate lines. The move will save 201 tonnes of steel and achieve a 45 percent drop in weight, which will lead to lower shipping costs. Cadbury has committed to reducing the packaging of seasonal and gift products by a quarter by 2010.

Cadbury will test the new packaging at Tesco stores over the holidays before rolling out further based on consumer feedback. Market testing revealed that consumers thought the boxes were practical and could be wrapped easier while still concealing the interior present.