Environment

Staples Canada offers approximately 2,700 products with environmental attributes, including many Staples® brand products. Beyond recycled content, we're pursuing the elimination of PVC in own brand packaging and opportunities further develop Staples® brand products with "green" eco-responsible raw materials, including wood fiber from certified sustainable forests, agricultural wastes, and lower impact bio-based alternatives.

Cleaning Products
In 2009 Staples transitioned the Head Office from traditional cleaning products to environmentally responsible brands. All cleaning products at Home Office are ecologo certified and the paper towel and toilet paper are made from recycled content. In 2010 Staples will be replicating this at all retail locations and each store will be using Staples own Sustainable Earth brand of cleaning products.

We make it easy for our customers to recycle by offering a variety of services, including options for recycling computers and office technology products, ink and toner cartridges, cell phones and other personal electronics, and rechargeable batteries. In our internal operations, we are committed to diverting materials from the waste stream.

NATIONAL

Battery Recycling Program
Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect and recycle batteries (rechargeable and alkaline). Successful efforts diverted almost 50,000 kg of batteries from landfills in 2012.

Ink and Toner Return Program
Since 2008, Staples® Canada has collected used ink and toner cartridges at every store location in Canada. By April 22, 2009, the company had surpassed its original goal of one-million by collecting 1.3-million. Encouraged by the campaign's success, Staples launched the Two-Million Cartridge Challenge, during which 2.1-million cartridges were collected by April 22, 2010. In 2012, over 2.5-million cartridges were collected, with a current goal of collecting five-million ink cartridges by Earth Day, 2014.

Recycle For Education Staples Canada encourages schools across the country to participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. Upon filling the bin, Staples collects the contents for recycling, free of charge. The School Ink Bin program was launched in September of 2012.

Electronics Recycling In an effort to divert eight-million pounds of electronic waste annually, Staples, alongside its national electronics recycling partner, eCycle Solutions, expanded its electronics drop-off program in early 2013. Now operating in over 250 retail locations, recyclable items accepted include PDAs, cell phones, computers, computer parts and more.

Writing Instruments In an effort to divert eight-million pounds of electronic waste annually, Staples, alongside its national electronics recycling partner, eCycle Solutions, expanded its electronics drop-off program in early 2013. Now operating in over 250 retail locations, recyclable items accepted include PDAs, cell phones, computers, computer parts and more.Staples, the exclusive retail partner of Terracycle and Newell Rubbermaid, launched a writing instrument recycling program in 2012, thereby collecting a total of 197,000 units by the end of the year. The program continues to collect used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markers, and highlighters, which are then shipped to Terracycle for recycling.

View complete list of collection sites and accepted recyclable hardware. » click here

PROVINCIAL

Wasteless and eCycle Programs
With the support of its environmental partners, Wasteless Environmental and eCycle Solutions, Staples helps divert electronics from landfills by offering all Ontario, Quebec and Alberta locations as collection stations for residents. Stores accept end-of-life electronics, such as computers, printers and peripherals.

Driver Take-Back
Staples Canada now collects electronics, batteries, and used ink and toner cartridges during product deliveries to customers. Staples’ drivers accept up to three large units at a time, after which eCycle Solutions is available to pick up any surplus. Staples offers this service through most Ontario, BC, Nova Scotia and Quebec stores.

Staples Canada proudly supports organizations committed to the preservation and protection of our environment. Partnering with and sponsoring organizations such as the Recycling Council of Canada allows us to maintain strong community relations as well as support causes and initiatives that are important to us. Staples Canada also operates various in-house community and environmental programs, such as Recycle for Education, Lights Out and Earth Day Canada.

Earth Day® Canada
Staples Canada is a proud national sponsor of Earth Day Canada's EcoKids program. EcoKids is a free, environmental education program that offers curriculum-linked materials and activities for Canadian elementary schools to engage in environmental action. There are also resources available for teachers as well to take advantage of, such as lesson plans, class lists, challenges and more. » Learn more

EARTH DAY® and the Leaf and Swirl DesignTM are trade-marks of Earth Day Canada (1991) Inc., used with the permission of Earth Day Canada (1991) Inc.

Our investments in energy conservation and renewable energy reflect our commitment to reducing the impacts of our energy use on the environment, particularly related to climate change.

Energy Conservation
Staples® Canada continues to reduce energy consumption through conservation and the use of energy efficient technologies.
We actively work to conserve energy across our business. These initiatives have clear environmental benefits, reduce our overall energy costs, and diversify our energy sources to mitigate the impacts of increases in fuel prices.

Staples Canada Facilities-Energy
Staples has installed Energy Management Systems in 255 locations across Canada, these systems allow Staples to centralize control of lighting and temperature set points. In 2007, Staples launched the Lights Out Program. During June and July, more than 130 store locations minimize their non-essential lighting. In 2009, this program allowed Staples to reduce consumption by 500,000 KW. In summer 2010, Staples welcomed the first 4 Quebec stores to the program. In 2009, Staples relamped more than 80 location with energy efficient 25W bulbs, which will reduce consumption by over 50,000KW/store and GHG by 17MT/store each year. Staples continues to relamp its locations and plans to transition another 80 stores in 2010. Staples is working with its lighting contractors and the Recycling Council of Ontario to ensure that all end of life bulbs are properly recycled. In 2009, Staples also completed its first HID to fluorescent retrofit. An additional 3 sites have been completed in 2010. Each retrofit reduces consumption by over 100,000KW/store.

Lights Out Program
A Little Light Can Go Along Way. The 'Lights-Out' program will significantly save energy by reducing the heat load in the building making it easier for the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to keep the building cool.

Since 2007 Staples has reduced light levels during the summer months of June and July in several locations across Canada. Over the past 3 years we have reduced our energy consumption by over 1.3 million KW that is enough to power over 90 Canadian Homes for one year.

Fifty Green
Since August 1, 2008, Staples Canada has requested that all orders placed for delivery are greater than or equal to $50.The goal is to reduce the unfavourable environmental impact of small orders. In order to discourage small orders, Staples Canada is charging a $5 processing fee for orders under $50, half of which is donated to Tree Canada. Tree Canada is a charitable organization that plants and care for trees in cities and rural areas across the country. Tree Canada will plant a tree for every small order placed.

Renewable Energy
Staples® U.S. continues to reduce energy consumption through conservation and the use of energy efficient technologies.
Staples U.S. encourages the expansion of renewable energy through the purchase of renewable energy certificates and the installation of on-site renewable energy technologies.

Energy and Climate

• We purchased more than 124 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2008 in the form of renewable energy certificates from certified sources including wind, biomass, and landfill gas. These purchases account for 20% of our total U.S. electricity requirements, up from 3% in 2003, and represent enough electricity to power more than 11,000 homes annually.
• We work closely with the World Resources Institute (WRI) on renewable energy development issues as a member of their Green Power Market Development Group, both in the U.S. and Europe. Both groups are composed of large corporations committed to fostering the development of cost-competitive renewable energy for the commercial and industrial sectors.
• Through our relationship with the solar developer SunEdison, Staples U.S. is currently hosting 25 active rooftop solar systems and has numerous more systems under construction in the U.S. We expect our active solar systems to generate enough clean electricity to power more than 400 average homes each year.
• As of October 2009, Staples U.S. was ranked 5th out of the top 20 retail purchasers of "green power" by U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership.