11.15.2004 ET

(CSRwire) FRAMINGHAM, MA - Staples Offers Cell Phone, PDA, Pager, Rechargeable Battery and Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling At 1,100 Staples Stores.

In celebration of America Recycles Day, Staples is asking consumers to recycle their used cell phones, PDAs, pagers, rechargeable batteries and ink and toner cartridges at any of its 1,100 U.S. stores.

Staples is a national sponsor of America Recycles Day, a national non-profit organization that renews public support every November 15 for recycling and buying recycled products by working with businesses, local, state and federal government and non-profit organizations. Staples makes it easy to recycle and buy recycled products every day.

"As part of our company-wide commitment to protect natural resources, Staples is proud to support America Recycles Day," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs at Staples. "We're pleased to help our customers 'close the loop' by recycling their used products and offering them 2,800 products with recycled content whenever they shop at Staples."

Mobile Electronics Recycling
This holiday season thousands of cell phones and PDAs are expected to be replaced with the latest technology. Staples customers can easily recycle their old cell phones, PDAs and pagers every day while shopping at their local Staples store. Staples works with CollectiveGood, a mobile electronics recycling company, to reduce the amount of electronic products normally discarded into the waste stream. In the U.S., there are an estimated 250-300 million used cell phones that should be recycled rather than disposed of in landfills.

Cell phones and other mobile devices contain hazardous elements like mercury, cadmium and lead which can contaminate the environment when incinerated or buried in a landfill. Mobile electronics collected at Staples 1,100 U.S. stores however will be refurbished by CollectiveGood for reuse, usually in the developing world, or recycled according to federal and local environmental standards. For more information on CollectiveGood, visit www.collectivegood.com. A portion of the proceeds from recycled mobile electronics will be donated to the Sierra Club.

Rechargeable batteries that power growing numbers of mobile electronic products can and should be recycled when they no longer hold a charge. Working with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), Staples will recycle used rechargeable batteries commonly found in mobile devices including cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, laptop computers, as well as portable DVD and CD players. For more information on RBRC, visit www.rbrc.org.

Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling
Staples supports public education through the recycling of ink and toner cartridges. Staples has now raised more than $1.5 million for public education through its "Staples Recycle for Education" program which gives schools $1.00 for every eligible ink or toner cartridge recycled at Staples stores or participating schools. Schools can easily participate in the "Staples Recycle for Education" program. Parents or teachers simply register their school online at www.staplesrecyclefored.com to receive a free recycling kit.

Staples Supports Local America Recycles Day Activities
Staples is supporting local recycling activities across the country. For example:

• In Washington state, Staples and several environmental organizations are promoting Staples' computer recycling program that encourages consumers to recycle their used computer systems at 27 Staples stores.
  
  
• In metro Atlanta and North Georgia, Staples and local non-profit recycling organizations are promoting recycling of mobile electronics and ink and toner cartridges at 15 Staples stores.
  
  
• In northern California, Staples is participating in an event to launch a new recycling guide in Contra Costa County.

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