11.07.2002 ET

(CSRwire) FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts - In a week-long celebration of America Recycles Day, Staples, Inc., (SPLS) is rewarding store customers who turn in empty ink jet cartridges with a free ream of Staples brand 30 percent recycled paper, from Sunday, Nov. 10 to Saturday, Nov. 16. The program, one of Staples many environmental initiatives, encourages recycling and the use of recycled products.

Each year Americans discard over 243 million ink jet cartridges, adding 875 million pounds of waste to our nation's landfills. Staples' ink jet cartridge recycling turn-in program helps reduce this waste stream by educating consumers that ink jet cartridges can and should be recycled. At the same time, the program encourages consumers to use recycled content products, which are high quality and good value. The Staples brand 30 percent recycled paper is the latest recycled content product available from Staples.

"As part of Staples' commitment to the environment, Staples is proud to support America Recycles Day," said Staples Vice Chairman Joseph Vassalluzzo. "In recognition of this national effort to promote recycling, Staples makes it easy for customers to take part in both sides of the recycling equation - returning used cartridges for recycling and using recycled paper."

Staples is dedicated to protecting and preserving natural resources through its leadership in the promotion of recycled content products, chain-wide recycling initiatives, energy conservation programs, and educational initiatives for customers and associates. Staples currently offers about 1,000 recycled content products--from copy paper to corrugated storage boxes to remanufactured ink cartridges--through its stores, website and catalogs.

America Recycles Day, officially designated as November 15 each year, renews public support of recycling and buying recycled products through partnerships with businesses, local, state and federal government and non-profit organizations. For more information, visit http://www.americarecyclesday.org.

The ink jet cartridge recycling turn-in program applies only to empty ink jet cartridges, excluding laser printer and copier cartridges. The free 30 percent paper ream offer is limited to one per customer. Beyond the week-long America Recycles Day celebration, customers can continue turning in used ink jet cartridges as part of Staples year-round cartridge recycling initiative that features recycling bins in all stores.

About Staples

Staples, Inc. is an $11 billion retailer of office supplies, business services, furniture and technology to consumers and businesses from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest operator of office superstores in the world. The company has approximately 55,000 associates serving customers through more than 1,400 office superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More information about the company is available at http://www.staples.com.

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