DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2005--Office Depot
(NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services,
today announced that 65 percent of its 2004 U.S. paper sales came from
recycled paper -- a dramatic 373 percent increase from 2003. Office
Depot, who last year became the first company in the office products
industry to set annual quantified environmental performance
objectives, also reported that the average annual post-consumer waste
(PCW) recycled content of all paper it sold in the United States last
year climbed by nearly 125 percent.
During 2004, 65.3 percent of Office Depot's total U.S. retail,
contract business, and commercial paper sales contained PCW recycled
content -- up from 13.8 percent in 2003. In addition, the overall
average PCW recycled content (total weight of recycled fiber as a
percent of total paper weight) of paper sold across all U.S. channels
reached 10.5 percent--up from 4.5 percent in 2003.
"We are thrilled to report that nearly two of every three sheets
of paper sold in the United States by Office Depot last year contained
recycled content," said Tyler Elm, Director of Environmental Affairs
for Office Depot. "With paper being the most ubiquitous single office
product, the sales effect of recycled stock is a significant benchmark
of our corporate commitment to promoting environmentally-sensitive
products and a testament to the growing public and corporate adoption
of our quality recycled paper."
Environmental Impact
According to Elm, through the shift in sales from virgin to of PCW
recycled content paper(1) across the United States, Office Depot:
-- Conserved nearly 1.5 million trees
-- Saved more than 1 trillion BTUs of energy--the amount of
energy needed annually to power nearly 10,000 U.S. households
-- Prevented nearly 65,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2
equivalents)--equivalent to removing nearly 12,000 cars from
the road for a year or protecting more than 16,000 acres of
forestland for a year
-- Prevented the release of approximately 33,000 tons of solid
waste--equivalent to the annual trash volume generated by
nearly 42,000 U.S. citizens
-- Prevented nearly 630,000 gallons of waste water, the annual
amount of water consumed by nearly 6,000 U.S. households
Recycled Paper Initiatives
Office Depot's 2004 recycled paper sales volume is the culmination
of numerous recent corporate initiatives to further develop and market
paper that meets business requirements while addressing environmental
interests. Last year, Office Depot enhanced its branded paper lineup
by increasing PCW recycled content in white copy paper, inkjet paper,
laser paper, color laser paper, and color copier paper.
In 2004, Office Depot also became the first reseller to include
PCW recycled content fiber in its standard copy paper--designed for
everyday high-volume copy and printing. At the same time, it
introduced elemental chlorine-free Office Depot brand paper--employing
an advanced brightening process to reduce pollution while enabling
production of bright, white paper.
Chain-of-Custody Paper Sourcing
In 2004, Office Depot collaborated with paper producer Norske
Canada and professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to
pioneer the industry's first independent chain-of-custody system for
North American paper sourcing. The system lets Office Depot ensure
that paper used in its printed marketing materials is
"environmentally-preferable." In Canada, for example, the company's
advertising insert program used environmentally preferable paper in
100 percent of all weekly marketing inserts last year.
As part of the chain-of-custody initiative, Office Depot is also
identifying, tracking, and publicly reporting on its use of
environmentally preferable fiber in the company's Environmental
Stewardship Report, the industry's only independently audited report
of its kind.
Office Depot and the Environment
Office Depot's environmental initiatives center on sustainable
forest management, recycling, and pollution reduction, as well as
promotion of environmental issues and markets for
environmentally-preferable products. In January 2005, the company
issued its Green Book catalog of environmentally friendly
products--the only environmentally-preferable office products catalog
printed on elemental chlorine-free, 100 percent PCW recycled paper.
In recognition of its environmental stewardship, Office Depot
recently received the "Outstanding Retailer" Award by the
International Council of Shopping Centers and Environmental Protection
Agency. In addition, the company was again named to the FTSE4Good
Index, which assesses companies' corporate social-responsibility
practices based on socially responsible investment principles. For
more information on Office Depot's environmental initiatives, visit
www.officedepot.com/environment.
Editor's Note: For more information on Office Depot's
environmental initiatives, visit www.officedepot.com/environment.
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.
CONTACT: Office Depot, Delray Beach
Brian Levine, 561/438-2895
blevine@officedepot.com
SOURCE: Office Depot
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