Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) is the first national retailer to offer everyday electronics recycling in its stores. People can drop off used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes and all-in-ones at any U.S. Staples store.
All brands will be accepted, regardless of whether or not the equipment was purchased at Staples, for a fee of $10 per large item. The fee covers handling, transport, product disassembly and recycling. Smaller computer peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, will be recycled for free.
Staples is working with Amandi Services, one of the country’s most experienced and innovative electronics recyclers, to handle recycling of the equipment, following standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“An estimated 133,000 computers are discarded every day in the U.S.,” said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs at Staples, Inc. “We know that small businesses and consumers want to recycle their used office technology but are often frustrated by the lack of convenient options available.”
Equipment is bagged and sealed when customers drop them off at the Staples customer service desk. The equipment is then picked up and delivered to Amandi Services, who disassembles the equipment into its component parts and uses industry-leading standards for data destruction. Amandi then recycles the raw materials, such as the plastics, metals, printed circuit boards and Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT). The CRTs, which are the most hazardous part of electronics waste, are recycled utilizing Amandi’s proprietary technology into a raw material that is used to manufacture new televisions.
Staples also provides in-store recycling for ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, PDAs and rechargeable batteries. In 2006, the company recycled more than 17 million ink and toner cartridges and 3,500 tons of electronic waste.
The company offers over 2,900 products made with recycled materials and is one of the largest retail and Fortune 500 purchasers of green power in the country.
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