Staples Announces Inaugural Global EcoEasy Challenge

College students from around the world compete to create environmentally-preferable office products

FRAMINGHAM, MA, Feb. 9 /CNW/ - Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), the world's largest office products company, today announced the first Staples Global EcoEasy Challenge, a competition among leading technology educational institutions around the world to create an innovative environmentally-preferable office product. In conjunction with Rochester Institute of Technology's Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Staples created the global competition to task the world's leading engineering students with developing concepts for an environmentally preferable business or home-office product.

    
    Participating Schools include:

    -   University of New South Wales, Australia
    -   School of Engineering of Piracicaba, Brazil
    -   University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
    -   University of Windsor, Canada
    -   Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai
    -   Tsinghua University, China
    -   Technical University of Berlin, Germany
    -   University of Twente, Netherlands
    -   University of California at Berkley, United States
    -   University of Pittsburgh, United States
    

As part of the Staples Global EcoEasy Challenge, individuals or teams of up to five students from each school will submit an idea for a new design of an existing product that represents greater environmental responsibility or sustainability; a product that uses an eco-innovative material; or a completely new product that promotes sustainability.

"With our longstanding commitment to sustainability, Staples is proud to sponsor the Global EcoEasy Challenge and bring together the creative minds of top engineering students from around the world," said David D'Angelo, senior vice president, Staples Brand Group. "We anticipate that as the next generation of environmental and engineering leaders, these students will bring passion and creativity to their designs as they develop environmentally-preferable office products."

A panel of judges will select the top finalists to receive a trip to New York City the week of Earth Day to present their concept during the finals on April 20, 2010 . One grand-prize winning team will receive $25,000 and first- and second-place teams will receive $5,000 each.

For more information, visit https://ecoeasychallenge.com.

About Staples' Environmental Commitment

Staples long-standing commitment to sustainable business practices is based on four key environmental cornerstones: recycling, offering a wide assortment of eco-friendly products, investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy and educating customers and associates about sustainability. Through its EcoEasy commitment, Staples makes it easy for customers to make a difference for the environment by offering more than 3,000 eco-friendly products and providing everyday, in-store recycling for computers, office technology, personal electronics and ink and toner cartridges. For more on Staples environmental initiatives, please visit www.staples.com/ecoeasy.

About Staples

Staples, the world's largest office products company, is committed to making it easy for customers to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2008 sales of $23 billion and 91,000 associates worldwide, Staples serves businesses of all sizes and consumers in 27 countries throughout North and South America , Europe , Asia and Australia . In July 2008 , Staples acquired Corporate Express, one of the world's leading suppliers of office products to businesses and institutions. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and is headquartered outside Boston . More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.

About STAPLES Canada

Founded in Toronto in 1991, STAPLES Canada Inc. is Canada's largest supplier of office supplies, business machines, office furniture and business services for the small business and home office customer. The company is an everyday low price retailer. The chain operates stores in all provinces across Canada under the banners STAPLES(R) Business Depot 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 has over 13,500 employees serving customers through more than 300 office superstores, catalogue, and e-commerce. STAPLES Canada/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.

For further information: Alessandra Saccal, STAPLES Canada, [phone] e. 2363, [email protected]; Rachel Swiednicki, STAPLES Canada, [phone] e. 2714, [email protected]