Planning to upgrade from your current computer to a new model that can handle broadband Internet service? If you are like me, you might be a little confused as to what to do with your old computer. Mine is currently collecting dust in my living room. Thankfully, Staples recently announced that it now makes it easy to recycle used computers and other office technology at any Staples store nationwide. With this program, they are the first national retailer to offer computer recycling in stores every day.
Staples says it makes it easy for customers to recycle e-waste. All you have to do is bring your used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes and all-in-ones to any U.S. Staples store, where the equipment will be recycled in accordance with environmental laws. All brands will be accepted, regardless of whether or not the equipment was purchased at Staples, for a fee of $10 per large item. 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).
"It's not always easy being green. However, through the leadership of Staples, Americans will see that preventing pollution by recycling unwanted electronics is as easy as it gets," said Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "EPA and our Plug-In To eCycling partners are helping make sure yesterday's high-tech gadgets do not go to waste."
"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. By making it easy to recycle, Staples helps customers take action in handling e-waste in an environmentally responsible way."
How the Recycling Program Works
- Customers drop off their old equipment at the customer service desk at any Staples store, 7 days a week during regular store hours; (TV's and large, floor-model copiers are not accepted).
- Staples will recycle any manufacturers' products, regardless of whether or not it was purchased from Staples, and there's no limit on the quantity of equipment that can be recycled.
- A recycling fee of $10 per piece of large equipment is charged to cover handling, transport, product disassembly and recycling. Smaller computer peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, will be recycled for free.
- Staples Easy TechSM 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.
Staples is a U.S. EPA Plug-In to eCycling partner and has offered computer recycling in its Seattle area stores for the past two years. In addition to computer and office technology recycling, Staples provides customers with easy, everyday, 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.
In addition to recycling of technology items, Staples says the comapny's other initiatives to help protect and sustain the earth take many forms, such as offering a wide assortment of eco-friendly products, investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy and educating customers and associates about how they can make a difference. They offer more than 2,900 products made with recycled materials and is one of the largest retail and Fortune 500 purchasers of green power in the country.
To learn more about Staples environmental initiatives, check out www.staples.com/environment.
