Enviro Groups Update Office Supply Industry’s Green Grades

April 7, 2008

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A recent USA Today ad placed by environmental groups Dogwood Alliance and ForestEthics highlighted the forest-related paper practices of Corporate Express, FedEx Kinko’s, Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples.

The groups say Staples, which just last month switched all of its 1,400 Copy & Print Centers in the U.S. to recycled paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, is making significant progress in their paper purchasing, while OfficeMax, which had probably hoped the campaign against it by Dogwood Alliance and ForestEthics ended last year when it introduced a new paper procurement policy, “has been doing the least to back up its green spin with concrete actions.”

In addition to several other cities, the ad ran in USA Today’s New York City edition, where paper industry executives were gathered for the American Forest & Paper Association’s annual “Paper Week.” The environmental groups released their latest Green Grades report card with the ad.

“While no office supply company is perfect, Staples and FedEx Kinko’s are making real progress and lead the sector overall,” said Daniel Hall of ForestEthics. “The two companies have been the industry’s most responsive in shifting their paper sourcing from Endangered Forests to more sustainable sources.”

The “Green Grades” report card also notes that Office Depot and Corporate Express are making strides in some areas, but the jury is still out on key questions.

In February, Staples joined other retailers,Office Depot being one of them, in no longer doing business with Asia Pulp & Paper due to environmental concerns

The groups released their last Green Grades report in September.

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Reader Comments

It would be terrifically helpful to lead with the companies that are doing the best job rather than Corporate Express because many of us scan the headlines and only Corporate Express showed on the synopsis and thus appeared to be the leader (inadvertantly misleading). Otherwise, keep up the good work!

carolyn humphryes | April 8th, 2008