Green Initiatives at Staples Advantage

Having a positive impact on the environment is more important now, than ever before. Over the past few years, the environment has become increasingly important to Staples Advantage and is now a key business priority. In addition to our ISO 14001 National Registration, we have introduced and implemented several programs and initiatives to aid us, not only in taking responsibility, but also ensuring we’re doing what we can to improve our environmental footprint. Our initiatives include: the use of oxo-degradable delivery bags, Fifty Green program, Green Pledge, and incorporating Sustainability into our culture through the roll-out of Staples Soul.

Go Green with Staples Advantage - Going green is more than just a trend - transforming the way we do business, reshaping markets and creating opportunities to innovate. Join Staples Advantage on our journey to a greener future! Click here

Watch the video to learn about Staples Advantage Environmental initiatives. Click here

Staples Soul

Staples Soul is our commitment to corporate social responsibility. It is comprised of four pillars: Community, Environment, Ethics and Diversity. By embracing these pillars into our business and ensuring they are reflected in our supply chain, we continue to grow not only financially but also are able to give back to the community where our associates and customers live, making us an employer of choice.

ISO 14001

Staples Advantage holds both National Registrations for ISO9001 (Quality) and ISO14001 (Environment). ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized standard that focuses on minimizing impacts on the environment. These corporate registrations assure our customers that we strive to deliver superior customer service and ensure we take measures to reduce any environmental impact associated with our business.

Introducing IRIS™ to Staples Advantage

On Earth Day 2013, we launched the Integrated Rated Indicator for Sustainability (IRIS™), an interactive tracking tool developed by Loop used to set goals, track progress and visually report on our sustainability initiatives to all our stakeholders. At Staples Advantage, we are committed to tracking our progress against 12 measurable targets within four main pillars which include: Ethics & Diversity, Sustainable Products, Sustainable Operations and Community Engagement.

In the colour-coded image, the IRIS™ illustrates the current status of each performance indicator relative to its targets. Over the years, the IRIS™ will provide a visual narrative of our progress towards sustainability.

Learn more: http://www.loopinitiatives.com/loopiris.html

Click on the above image for a dynamic view of StaplesAdvantage Sustainability efforts.

Tech Recycling Program

We'll recycle your ink, batteries and electronics. Our Tech Recycling Program is an eco-preferable plan that fits your schedule. Just give your recyclables to your driver at your next delivery. We accept ink and toner cartridges, computers and monitors,* desktop printers, batteries, computer peripherals and office machines.

*Limit three computers and three monitors per pickup. A waiver form is required for computer pickup. Available in select areas only. Download the Waiver to see the areas we service.

Delivery

In 2009, Staples Advantage became the first office product delivery company to use degradable delivery bags. These oxo-degradable poly bags contain a variety of particles designed to accelerate the break-down time of waste material. Currently, estimates suggest a standard, non-degradable plastic bag could take hundreds of years to disintegrate. In comparison, oxo-degradable poly bags could disintegrate in as little as six weeks. This is possible through a process called thermo-oxidation which uses heat, sunlight and oxygen to accelerate the disintegration process. This process is delayed with a time release feature which allows plenty of time for usage by the customer before the degradation process begins. The bags complement our other green initiatives, Fifty Green and Green Pledge.

The Fifty Green program

Be Part of the Solution! Fifty Green reduces the environmental cost of ordering.

As a global company Staples Advantage takes our social responsibility and the environment seriously. We believe that we have a responsibility larger than profit maximization and job creation - to minimize the negative effects of our operations and strive to impact positively on the environment. Order delivery is a significant source of the environmental impact of our operations, releasing, among other toxic chemicals, Nitrogen Dioxide. Our Fifty Green program encourages you, our customers, to help reduce the impact on the environment by reducing the number of deliveries to your location through combining orders that in turn improves our operational efficiencies. This allows for better service and competitive prices for you, whilst also reducing packaging and toxic gas emissions, so it is beneficial for the environment.

We have two options to assist our customers in reducing their environmental impact.

1) Fifty Green Charge will encourage you to combine your orders. Should your order remain less than $50 we will add a five dollar order charge. Half of the order charge will be donated to Tree Canada to help plant trees in local communities across Canada to offset the environmental impact. Each fee collected helps buy a tree. The benefits include the ability to continue to create orders less than $50 with the assurance that the impact of small orders is being reduced.

2) Fifty Green Accelerator encourages you to combine your orders to reach a minimum of $50. Should your order remain less than $50 we will save the order to allow you time to determine additional items you would like to purchase. You can use eway.ca at any time to complete your selections, alternatively you can contact our customer care department or we will be happy to follow up with you. The benefits of this program include no additional delivery charges and ecologically sound purchasing practices.

What does it mean for you? Regardless of how you participate in Fifty Green, if your order size is above $50, there is no impact to you – you will continue to receive all of the great products that you have come to expect from Staples Advantage. You will also have the knowledge that you have played an active role in helping us reduce our operational costs, to maintain competitive pricing AND reduced the impact on the environment.

Talk to your Staples Advantage account representative to find out more!

Staples Advantage is proud to announce that based on our lifetime donations of over 100,000 trees, Tree Canada has referred to us as a Platinum sponsor at our recent Green Symposium held in Toronto in 2012.

This year, 2013, we will be dedicating half of the proceeds from our Fifty Green initiative to fund Tree Canada’s School Greening Program where we will help green 10 schools across the country. The other half of the proceeds will continue to support the organization’s National Greening Program, which will plant trees to help offset the environmental impact of making small deliveries.

Tree Canada is a not-for-profit charitable organization established to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments. A winner of the Canadian Environmental Award (2007), Tree Canada engages Canadian companies, government agencies and individuals to support the planting of trees, the greening of schoolyards, and other efforts to sensitize Canadians to the benefits of planting and maintaining trees. To date, more than 77 million trees have been planted, more than 450 schoolyards have been greened, and Tree Canada has organized 8 national urban forestry conferences.

Today, the most important aspect of the urban forest is clearly energy conservation and carbon dioxide absorption. Urban trees reduces CO2 by directly removing carbon. You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven (20,000 km/year) By planting in your neighbourhhoods, schoolyards, parks and in the countryside, Tree Canada leaves a living, breathing legacy for generations to come.

Please visit www.treecanada.ca for more details

Green Committees

Our employee-based regional Green Committees, having aligned with our National Green Committee have been very successful in raising environmental awareness and communicating environmental performance results. Our Green committees drive internal awareness and action through the promotion of globally recognized events such as Earth Hour and Earth Day, behavioural change initiatives such as diverting landfill waste by increasing recycling and composting, and through educational events such as Waste Reduction Week and World Water Day as well as through a quarterly Environmental newsletter.

At Staples Advantage, we encourage both our customers and our associates to understand the importance of our environment and provide various ways for them to help them have a positive impact. When we all work together, the environment and future generations benefit greatly.

Ink and Toner Recycling

Staples makes it easy to recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges. Staples is one of the world's largest ink recyclers, having recycled more than 50 million ink and toner cartridges over the last 2 years. Our delivery drivers will collect your empty ink and toner cartridges, regardless of brand, the next time a delivery is made. To start recycling your empty cartridges:

Driver Pickup:

Arrange a pickup location with your delivery driver

Securely package your empty cartridges in the original box, a copy paper box or any other appropriately sized box

Leave the box for your delivery driver to pick up at the designated location

No Driver?

We provide a prepaid mailing label for customers without driver service and we will recycle any brand of ink and toner. For customers who do receive their supplies via a parcel carrier (ex. UPS or FedEx), pre-paid labels are available for you to mail back your empty cartridges. These services are provided free of charge to our valued customers.

Download your free mailing label {link to http://www.staplesadvantagerecycling.com/index.aspx}

Pallet Pickup:

If you have 50 or more cartridges to send back at one time, we also offer full pallet pick up for customers. To arrange a bulk pick up email recycle@staplesreturns.com