Staples reports on diversion efforts

Staples Canada reports it has helped divert more than 136,000 kilograms of used household batteries through its partnership with Call2Recycle, recycled more than two million kilograms of electronic waste through eCycle Solutions, and more than 1.17 million writing instruments with TerraCycle  in 2020.

Staples Canada store locations across Canada have several free recycling solutions available for customers, which include writing instruments, ink and toner cartridges, mobile phones, personal electronics, and household batteries.

“We are committed to providing our customers with an easy way to recycle the products that they purchase from our stores,” said David Boone, CEO, Staples Canada.

“Our in-store recycling programs offer a convenient solution to responsibly dispose of those hard-to-recycle items. It’s rewarding to see these programs continue to reach incredible milestones, thanks to the support of our communities.”

In addition to in-store recycling programs, Staples Canada is the largest retail supporter of Bullfrog Power’s green energy. Staples Studio co-working locations, Solutionshop and print production centres are all bullfrog powered with 100 percent clean, renewable energy.

Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries. The partnership began in 2004 and over a million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled to date.

An authorized e-waste provider site through the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), Staples Canada and its partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics. To date, Staples Canada has collected over 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through this electronics recycling program. 

In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markers and highlighters at local stores.

To help divert ink and toner cartridges from landfills, Staples Canada collects ink and toner cartridges for recycling, and has a School Ink Recycling Program, which provides a free ink cartridge collection bins to schools. 

Staples Canada partners with Iron Mountain to offer its customers a secure paper shredding service. This allows customers to safely destroy unnecessary sensitive paper documents and know they are recycled to minimize waste, pollution and impact on our natural resources.