DELRAY BEACH, FL — Office Depot, Inc., (NYSE:ODP), the world’s largest seller of recycled paper products, today announced two additional initiatives to strengthen its leadership position on key environmental issues related to the office supplies industry. The Company, which recently announced that it is in the process of developing a comprehensive environmental policy, will extend the dates of its current ink and toner recycling program and convert all store Copy & Print Centers so that they offer Office Depot’s EnviroCopy 35% post-consumer waste content recycled paper as the default paper type for black and white copies.

The ink and toner recycling program, which began in January 2003 in more than 800 Office Depot locations throughout North America, offers customers the opportunity to receive one free ream of Office Depot’s EnviroCopy 35% post-consumer waste content recycled paper when they return used ink and toner cartridges to participating stores. Office Depot collects the cartridges and arranges for them to be recycled. This popular program has been extended to run through September 2003. At the current rate of redemption, Office Depot expects to recycle more than one million cartridges.

“We have been very pleased with our customers’ response to our ink and toner recycling program,” said Alex Weatherall, Vice President of Merchandising for Office Depot. “Research has revealed that one of the important factors impacting the sale of recycled paper is the lack of perceived quality. Through the extension of our program, we are now able to better educate customers as to the benefits of recycling while demonstrating the incredible quality advancements of our EnviroCopy recycled paper.”

In addition, Weatherall announced that the Company’s Copy & Print Centers will now use Office Depot’s EnviroCopy 35% post-consumer waste content recycled paper as the default paper type for black and white copies in all high-speed and self-service copy machines. This benefit is being provided at no additional charge in conjunction with our ink and toner recycling program. Customers wishing to use non-recycled paper for their copies will still have that option.

“The ink and toner recycling program and the use of our EnviroCopy 35% post-consumer waste recycled paper in our Copy & Print Centers go hand in hand,” Weatherall noted. “Not only are customers doing their part for the environment by recycling their used cartridges, but they are also being given the opportunity to experience recycled paper, many for the first time.”

According to Weatherall, Office Depot currently offers more than 2,000 products containing recycled content.

About Office Depot

No one sells more office products to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. The Company operates under the Office Depotâ, Viking Office Productsâ, Viking Directâ and 4Sure.comâ brand names. As of December 28, 2002, Office Depot operated 867 office supply superstores in the United States and Canada, in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 24 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers. Furthermore, the Company sells products and services in 20 countries outside of the United States and Canada, including 37 office supply stores in France and 13 in Japan that are owned and operated by the Company; and 121 additional office supply stores under joint venture and licensing agreements operating under the Office Depotâ name in seven foreign countries.

The Company operates a number of award-winning Web sites, including its U.S. corporate site at www.officedepot.com, where customers can access Office Depot’s low competitive prices seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.

Office Depot’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc.

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, Fla., Office Depot has annual sales of nearly $15 billion, and employs approximately 50,000 associates around the world. Currently, the Company sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 42 countries. Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel -- from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. Office Depot serves a wide range of customers through a dedicated sales force, telephone account managers, direct mail offerings, and multiple web sites.

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