DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2005--Office Depot,
Inc. (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and
services, continues to set the industry standard for its commitment to
promote and use recycled paper. The Company announced today that in
2004 it achieved an average of 26.9% post consumer waste (PCW)
recycled content in the paper it used at its nearly 1,000 North
American Copy & Print Centers.
This marks an increased performance of more than 90% over 2003
when the Company's Copy & Print Center average PCW recycled content
was 14%. (Paper use is measured by weight.)
According to Tyler Elm, Director of Environmental Affairs, Office
Depot was the first company in the office supply industry to set
annual quantified environmental performance objectives. In April 2003,
the Company converted paper used in high-speed, self-service copy
machines at all North American Copy & Print Centers to elemental
chlorine-free, 35% PCW recycled content, and set a future goal of 30%
average annual PCW recycled content for paper used at the Centers.
"Office Depot is thrilled to have surpassed our 2004 goal of 20%
average recycled PCW content for paper used in our Copy & Print
Centers," Elm said. "The fact that we have reached such a high average
so quickly is encouraging and a testament to our commitment to
increase the environmental performance of our products and services. A
goal of 30% once seemed extremely optimistic given our April 2003
performance of about 1%. However, we've seen our customers respond to
the 'green' copy and printing services we offer as well as to the
enhancements to our Office Depot-branded papers."
Elm noted that Office Depot's EnviroCopy paper, made from 35% PCW
content, is actually brighter than standard virgin paper. In June
2004, the Company enhanced its line of premium private brand papers by
increasing the recycled content and brightness of many specialty
products. Inkjet and Laser Paper - two heavyweight special purpose
products - changed from 30% to 35% PCW recycled content. Color Laser
and Color Copier Paper - two extra heavyweight and extra bright
premium products - changed from 10% to 30% PCW recycled content.
"Customers would often substitute virgin or low recycled content
paper if their special purpose printing or copying needs required
extra bright, heavy weight, or color copy paper," Elm added. "We
responded by offering a full range of Office Depot-branded
environmentally-preferable paper with increased smoothness,
brightness, and recycled content, enabling our customers to meet their
business needs while using an environmentally-preferable product."
According to Tom Murray, Project Manager for Corporate
Partnerships at Environmental Defense, "Using recycled rather than
virgin paper conserves wood, water and energy, and helps reduce
pollution and waste."
Environmental Defense estimates that by using elemental
chlorine-free, 35% PCW recycled content paper in all high-speed,
self-service copy machines, in combination with an enhanced range of
recycled content specialty papers, has helped Office Depot's North
American Copy & Print Centers achieve the following environmental
benefits in 2004:
-- Conserved more than 44,000(a) trees, reducing the number of
trees used by nearly 27%
-- Saved more than 31 billion BTUs of energy - equivalent to the
amount of annual energy needed to power more than 290 U.S.
households
-- Prevented more than 2,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
(CO2 equivalents) - equivalent to removing more than 350 cars
from the road for a year
-- Prevented the creation of 1,030 tons of solid waste,
equivalent to the trash generated annually by more than 480
U.S. households
-- Saved the equivalent amount of wastewater (more than 18
million gallons) discharged or released annually by more than
190 U.S. households
Responsible Forest Management
In addition to the results obtained through the use of recycled
content paper at its Copy & Print Centers, Office Depot, along with
paper producer NorskeCanada and professional services firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, pioneered the industry's first independent
chain-of-custody system for sourcing paper in North America. The
non-proprietary system enables Office Depot to ensure that paper used
in its printed marketing materials is "environmentally-preferable" and
establishes a new level of transparency in paper procurement.
The company's increased use of recycled content and practice of
responsible forest management enabled Office Depot to receive the
Outstanding Retailer Award announced in April 2005 as part of the
inaugural "America's Marketplace Recycles!" awards program jointly
sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(a) Number of trees calculated collaboratively by Conservatree and
Alliance for Environmental Innovation/Environmental Defense, and
assumes a mix of hardwoods and softwoods 6-8" in diameter and 40'
tall, Source: Tom Soder, Pulp & Paper Technology Program, University
of Maine, September 1991, as reported in Recycled Papers: The
Essential Guide, by Claudia G. Thompson, The MIT Press, 1992.
Editor's Note: For more information on Office Depot's
environmental initiatives, visit www.officedepot.com/environment. For
more information about Environmental Defense, visit
www.environmentaldefense.org or call its media relations department at
212-505-2100.
About Office Depot
With annual sales approaching $14 billion, 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, Florida, Office Depot conducts business in 23 countries
and employs 47,000 people worldwide. The Company operates under the
Office Depot(R), Viking Office Products(R), Viking Direct(R),
Guilbert(R), and Tech Depot(R) brand names.
Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel - from
retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. With
$3.1 billion in online sales in FY'04, the Company is the world's
number three Internet retailer. As of March 26, 2005, Office Depot has
995 retail stores in North America in addition to a national
business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers
and more than 60 local sales offices. Internationally, the Company
conducts wholly-owned operations in 14 countries through 77 retail
stores and 26 distribution centers, and operates 153 retail stores
under joint venture and license arrangements in another seven
countries.
The company'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/.
About Environmental Defense
Environmental Defense is a leading national nonprofit organization
representing more than 400,000 members. Since 1967, we have linked
science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and
cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental
problems.
CONTACT: Office Depot, Delray Beach
Brian Levine, 561/438-2895
blevine@officedepot.com
SOURCE: Office Depot, Inc.
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