President of national office supply retailer shows his commitment to
protecting the environment

STAPLES Canada has collected 1.2 million used cartridges to-date, with a goal of recycling two-million by April 22, 2010

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Feb. 10 /CNW/ - STAPLES Canada has collected over 1.2 million used ink/toner cartridges, as part of their Two Million Cartridge Challenge-an initiative to eliminate cartridges from landfills by ensuring they are properly recycled.

STAPLES Canada president, Steve Matyas , toured SIMS Recycling Solutions, a recycling facility located in Brampton where millions of used cartridges are shipped and separated for recycling. The majority of cartridges collected by STAPLES Canada are recycled at SIMS, where they are shredded and separated into commodities, like plastics, which are reused in the manufacture of new products.

"STAPLES Canada is a leader in the retail industry with its recycling initiatives. From monitors to cartridges they have made a large commitment to sustainability," commented Chris Convery , SIMS Recycling Solutions.

"I had a first-hand look at how these cartridges are divided and recycled. It amazes me to see how recycling cartridges can make a huge environmental impact. Everyone needs to do their part," said Matyas. Two-million laser cartridges stacked end-to-end is equivalent to the height of approximately 1,240 CN Towers.

The Two-Million Cartridge Challenge began April 22, 2009 and ends on April 22, 2010 .

"Our first Challenge, The Million Cartridge Challenge, was a huge success with 1.3 million cartridges collected, and we know the Two-Million cartridge challenge will be as well," commented Matyas.

STAPLES Canada has been recycling used ink and toner cartridges for the past 15 years, along with rechargeable batteries and cell phones. STAPLES Canada also sells hundreds of eco-friendly products and is committed to several environmental initiatives as part of their community@work program, which focuses on the three Es: Environment, Education and Entrepreneurship.

Photo release attached.

About STAPLES Canada

Founded in Toronto in 1991, The Business Depot Ltd./STAPLES Canada Inc. is Canada's largest everyday low price retailer of office supplies, business machines, office furniture and business services for the small business and home office customer. The chain operates stores in all provinces across Canada under the banners STAPLES(R) Canada and Bureau en Gros(MC). Marketing Magazine's Marketing/Leger 2008 Corporate Reputation Survey ranked STAPLES Canada/Bureau en Gros number one among Canada's top 100 companies surveyed in Canada . The company employs over 13,500 associates and serves customers through more than 300 office superstores, catalogue, and e-commerce. STAPLES/Bureau en Gros is committed to making shopping easy by offering customers three ways to shop: online, by catalogue and in-store. More information is available at www.staples.ca.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Alessandra Saccal, Public Relations Manager, [phone] ext. 2363, [email protected]; Rachel Swiednicki, Public Relations Specialist, [phone] ext. 2714, [email protected]