May 23, 2007—Staples, Inc., the world’s largest office products company, has started a program making it easy to recycle used computers and other office technology at any Staples store nationwide. The company says it is the first national retailer to offer computer recycling in stores every day.
Customers can bring their used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes and all-in-ones to any US Staples store, where the equipment will be recycled in accordance with environmental laws. All brands will be accepted, even if the equipment was not purchased at Staples, for a fee of $10 per large item to cover 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 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Customers can drop off their old equipment at the customer service desk at any Staples store, 7 days a week during regular store hours. (Televisions and large, floor-model copiers are not accepted.) There is no limit on the quantity of equipment that can be recycled.
The company’s Easy Tech service is on site in all stores to transfer data from an old computer to a new one for a fee.
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.
To learn more about Staples environmental initiatives, see the company’s Web site.
