The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation announces program with the environmental leader in the office supply industry
ATLANTA, April 24, 2003 – The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a non-profit organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries, announced today the rollout of RBRC’s battery recycling program in Staples stores throughout the U.S..
RBRC’s battery drop off boxes will be in Staples stores starting Sunday, April 27. Staples customers can simply drop off their used rechargeable batteries at the store customer service desk, where the RBRC boxes will be located.
“Our program with Staples marks the first time we’ve joined forces with a national office supply retailer,” said Ralph Millard, executive vice president, RBRC. “Staples customers already know where to go for office supplies and business services, and it’s now more convenient than ever for customers to stock up and be green at the same time!”
Many people don’t know that the rechargeable batteries that power an ever-growing list of cordless electronics products can and should be recycled when they can no longer hold a charge. These products include cellular and cordless phones, digital cameras, laptop computers, portable DVD and CD players, PDAs, two-way radios, remote control toys, and cordless power tools.
“Rechargeable batteries power many of the electronic products that Staples offers every day, and we’re now helping customers recycle these batteries responsibly at the end of their use,” said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs at Staples. “Our new program with RBRC, the latest initiative in our overall environmental commitment, makes it easy for customers to ‘close the product loop’ whenever they visit their local Staples store.”
Now, even more locations to recycle
With about 1,100 Staples stores in the U.S., the RBRC/Staples program adds to the over 30,000 sites throughout the U.S. and Canada that consumers can access to drop off their used rechargeable batteries. Additional national retailers that participate in the RBRC program include Best Buy, Circuit City, The Home Depot, RadioShack, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and many more.
To find a nearby participating Staples, as well as other drop off locations, consumers can simply log-on to www.rbrc.org or call 1-800-8-BATTERY, type in their zip code, and they are given a list of participating retailers and community collection sites. The program is free of charge to consumers.
Battery Check Week: Today and every day
The RBRC/Staples program was announced in conjunction with RBRC’s 5th annual Battery Check Week – a national call-to-action to encourage consumers to check the rechargeable batteries that power their cordless products, and if they can no longer hold a charge, to recycle them. Battery Check Week coincides with Earth Day (April 22) and runs April 21 – 25.
For more information on RBRC’s battery recycling program and to get tips for charging rechargeable batteries, go to www.rbrc.org or call 1-800-8-BATTERY.
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About Staples
Staples, Inc. is an $11.6 billion retailer of office supplies, business
services, furniture and technology to consumers and businesses from
home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the U.S.,
Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the
Netherlands and Portugal. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples
invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest
operator of office superstores in the world. The company has 58,000
associates serving customers in approximately 1,500 office superstores,
mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More
information about the company is available at http://www.staples.com.
About Call2Recycle®
Call2Recycle is the industry’s first and only product
stewardship program for rechargeable batteries. The nonprofit program
is administered by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
(RBRC), a public service organization dedicated to rechargeable battery
recycling. There are more than 30,000 Call2Recycle drop-off locations
throughout the U.S. and Canada. More than 175 manufacturers
and marketers of portable rechargeable batteries and products show
their commitment to conserve natural resources and prevent rechargeable
batteries from entering the solid waste stream by funding the
Call2Recycle program. In pursuit of its mission, Call2Recycle also
collects old cellphones, which are either recycled or refurbished and
resold when possible with a portion of the proceeds benefiting select
charities. For more information, call 877-2-RECYCLE or visit www.call2recycle.org.
JUL