View printer-friendly version

<< Back

Office Depot Expands Its Environmental Solutions with Launch of Nationwide Tech Recycling Service

Customers Can Recycle Technology, Cell Phones, Rechargeable Batteries and Empty Ink and Toner Cartridges At Office Depot Stores in North America DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2007--Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, today announced the launch of its new "Tech Recycling Service" available at all of the Company's 1,100-plus retail store locations in North America. The Office Depot program, which was piloted in 2006 in approximately 100 stores in the U.S., has already resulted in the recycling of more than 108,000 pounds of technology. "Office Depot is committed to bringing value and innovation to our customers," said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail. "We are confident that the Tech Recycling Service in conjunction with our existing environmental initiatives will help us accomplish our goal." Through Office Depot's Tech Recycling Service, customers will now have the ability to recycle all of their technology items at one time by following three simple steps: Step 1: Determine how many tech products you have to recycle and purchase the appropriate sized Tech Recycling Box at an Office Depot retail store location. (Boxes are priced at $5, $10, and $15, and include all shipping and handling.) Step 2: Fill the box with acceptable technology items ranging from monitors, small televisions and printers to keyboards, digital cameras and cords and cables. (For a complete list, visit your local Office Depot store or go to www.officedepot.com/techrecycling.) Step 3: Bring the filled but unsealed Tech Recycling Box to an associate at your local Office Depot store. "EPA applauds Office Depot for providing consumers with a convenient solution for recycling electronics," said Matt Hale, the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste Director. "Recycling technology helps keep electronics out of the waste stream, and conserves valuable materials like copper and aluminum." The Tech Recycling Service enhances Office Depot's current range of recycling solutions, through which customers can recycle cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink and toner cartridges. Additionally, Office Depot is one of EPA's Plug-In To eCycling partners. Through this partnership, electronics manufacturers and retailers offer consumers more opportunities to reuse and recycle their used electronics. "Office Depot's environmental vision is to increasingly buy green, be green and sell green," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Environmental Strategy Advisor for Office Depot. "Through our Tech Recycling Service, we hope to offer our customers another solution for reducing their environmental impact." Recycling technology is not new to Office Depot. In 2004 for a three-month period, the Company partnered with Hewlett Packard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to launch one of the largest-ever free recycling drives, which resulted in over 10.5 million pounds of recycled electronics. Office Depot also continues to maintain a free cell phone and rechargeable battery recycling program, which has diverted approximately four tons of small electronics from landfills. These initiatives are in addition to the Company's signature Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling Program, which offers customers a $3 coupon in exchange for eligible empty cartridges returned (up to 25). The successful recycling program recouped over 15 million empty cartridges in just its first two years (from 2003 through 2005). For more information on Office Depot's environmental initiatives and to view the Company's recently published Corporate Citizenship Report, please visit: www.officedepot.com/environment. For more information on EPA's Plug-In program, visit: www.epa.gov/plugin. About Office Depot Office Depot provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company. Incorporated in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla., Office Depot has annual sales of over $15.4 billion, and employs approximately 52,000 associates around the world. Currently, the Company sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 43 countries. Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel -- from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. As of June 30, 2007, Office Depot had 1,186 retail stores in North America and another 369 stores, either company-owned, licensed or franchised, in other parts of the world. Office Depot serves a wide range of customers through a dedicated sales force, telephone account managers, direct mail offerings, and multiple web sites. With $4.7 billion in online sales during the last twelve months, the Company is also one of the world's largest e-commerce retailers. Office Depot's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com. Press materials and background specific to Office Depot's environmental initiatives and product offerings is available at http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment. CONTACT: Office Depot, Delray Beach Mindy Kramer, Public Relations, 561-438-4276 Mindy.Kramer@officedepot.com or Melissa Perlman, Public Relations, 561-438-0704 Melissa.Perlman@officedepot.com SOURCE: Office Depot