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Office Depot Reaches 19 Percent Post-consumer Recycled Content in Canadian Inserts

Office Depot Reaches 19 Percent Post-consumer Recycled Content in Canadian Inserts

Published 06-22-04

Submitted by Office Depot, Inc.

DELRAY BEACH, FL - Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP), the world's largest reseller of recycled paper, has once again demonstrated its environmental leadership by announcing performance results for the company's 2003 Canadian advertising insert program. Office Depot is the first company in the office products industry to set quantified environmental performance objectives for 2004.

"We're excited to take this significant step to publicly report on the use of environmentally-preferable paper in our marketing materials and to use this information to set responsible, quantified performance objectives for the upcoming year," said Tyler Elm, Director of Environmental Affairs for Office Depot.

In September 2003, Office Depot began piloting an initiative in Canada to test the feasibility of increasing the environmental performance of the company's advertising insert program by using environmentally preferable paper - that is, paper made primarily with fiber that is either certified as being sourced from responsibly managed forests or made of post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled content.

"We began working with our paper and print suppliers during the late summer to test the use of high recycled content paper," Elm noted. "We launched the pilot in the fall of 2003, and the average annual results for the year are outstanding."

According to Elm, slightly more than one out of every four Office Depot advertising inserts in Canada was printed on paper made with a minimum of 75 percent post-consumer recycled content.

"That translates into an annual average environmentally preferable fiber content of approximately 19 percent by weight," Elm said.

The success of the 2003 pilot enabled Office Depot to set an industry-leading goal as well as create a specific timeline for achieving tangible, measurable and reportable results in 2004.

"Office Depot's Canadian advertising insert program will continue the transition towards using environmentally preferable paper in 100 percent of all suitable applications," Elm stated. ""Based on current trends and last year's success, Office Depot's mission for 2004 is to increase the average certified fiber or PCW recycled fiber content in Canadian advertising inserts to 50 percent by weight - more than a 250 percent increase in annual performance."

According to Tom Murray, Project Manager for Corporate Partnerships at Environmental Defense, "using post-consumer recycled content paper instead of virgin paper benefits the environment in several ways: Recycled paper uses less wood; reduces the amount of total energy, chemicals and water consumed during paper manufacturing; and reduces both solid waste and greenhouse gas emission."

Murray noted that by increasing the post-consumer recycled content of its Canadian advertising inserts, Office Depot will annually conserve an estimated :

  • 4.5 billion BTUs of total energy - the amount of residential energy used annually by 44 households

  • 600 tons of CO2 equivalents - the amount released annually by 105 cars

  • 1,002,941 gallons of wastewater - the amount of wastewater discharged annually by 10 households

  • 820 tons of wood - the amount of wood required to make copy paper for 17,523 people

  • 223 tons of solid waste - the trash generated annually by 105 households.

    "Our actions reduced the number of trees used by 19 percent, total energy consumption by 7.5 percent, hazardous air pollutants by 15.7 percent, and solid waste by 10.4 percent," Elm added. "These are real, quantifiable differences that affect the air we breathe and the land we live on."

    Office Depot and the Environment

    In 2003, Office Depot declared its commitment to enhance the environmental performance of its paper by increasing the number of products containing PCW recycled fiber as well as the amount of PCW recycled content in those products. The introduction of a new Office Depot paper line of office papers earlier this month, with many products exceeding U.S. government and most state environmental standards, is expected to double the annual environmental benefits associated with the sale and use of the new Office Depot brand papers. The Canadian advertising insert program is seen as extending that commitment to the company's marketing materials and is the latest demonstration of Office Depot leading by example in ways that produce tangible, measurable results.

    About Office Depot

    With annual sales of more than $12 billion, no one sells more office supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla., the company conducts business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

    Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel - from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The company is the world's number two online retailer - generating $2.6B in sales for FY'03. In North America, Office Depot has 900 retail stores in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.

    The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

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    Estimates were made using the April 2003 update to the Paper Task Force Model.
    Equivalents based on an average driving distance of 200 miles/week

  • Office Depot, Inc. logo

    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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