Staples Canada Achieves Recycling Goals for Q2 2013

Staples Canada announced its sustainability achievements for the second quarter of 2013, showing that the company, along with partner Call2Recycle, diverted over 23,880 kg of batteries from landfills in the second quarter of 2013, an increase of over 120% from Q2 2012.

The retailer says it is on track to exceed its goal of collecting 60,000 kg of batteries for recycling this year.

Staples Canada says it also collected 790,000 ink and toner cartridges in the second quarter of 2013, via the option for customers to drop off these items at every store in Canada. The retailer has a target of collecting 5 million ink cartridges by Earth Day 2014.

Alongside its national electronics recycling partner, eCycle Solutions, Staples Canada expanded its electronics drop-off program to over 250 retail locations in early 2013. In the second quarter of 2013, Staples Canada customers helped the retailer collect 797.44 metric tons of electronics for recycling, an increase of 17.8% over Q2 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, the retailer collected 780.24 metric tons with a goal to collect 3,000 metric tons of electronics this year.

Working with exclusive partners TerraCycle and Newell Rubbermaid, Staples Canada also takes back used writing instruments such as pens, pencils, markers and highlighters. In the second quarter of 2013, 3,083 units were collected. That’s 225% over the number of units collected in Q2 2012.

“Our environmental programs were developed with our customers in mind,” says Pete Gibel, vice president of merchandising at Staples Canada and Chair of the Staples Canada Environmental Committee. “We know that our customers share our commitment to the environment, and we continue to make a difference with their help. We make it easy for them to recycle everything from batteries to electronics. At the same time, we at Staples, continue to challenge ourselves as environmental program leaders.”

Best Buy Canada has a similar electronics take-back program, called the Return to Retail Program. Customers are now able to bring in their electronic waste, no matter where it was purchased, to any store in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec at any time during the year for safe and free recycling.

This past summer, Best Buy Canada’s fifth year of Tech It Away Recycling events collected 37,000 pounds of electronics from Canadian homes for responsible recycling. This year’s events took place at six Best Buy stores in Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Quebec City; the company encouraged people to participate by offering everyone who dropped off electronics the chance to win a $500 Best Buy gift card.