Office Depot for the first time is customizing The Green Book(TM) catalog of environmentally preferable products in six country-specific versions. The award winning catalog is now available to Office Depot’s contract customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
"Office Depot first launched The Green Book in the United States in 2003 to see if simplifying the green purchasing experience would be of value to our customers," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Environmental Strategy Advisor for Office Depot. "The response was extremely favorable, and as a result we are now releasing this series of catalogs in markets around the world."
In addition to English language-versions in the U.S. and U.K., Office Depot is distributing The Green Book in French, German, Dutch, Walloon, and Flemish.
The Green Book catalog is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with process chlorine-free bleaching. In total, this year’s catalogs contain over 6,000 different products including:
- Remanufactured ink and toner cartridges;
- Recycled paper products;
- Energy Star qualified office equipment, such as computers, monitors and printers;
- Non-toxic cleaners and writing instruments.
Siddiqui noted that Office Depot has included products that deliver quality and price as well as specific environmental benefits — rather than focusing only on those items considered to be the most environmentally benign. Additionally, a large number of the products in The Green Book have received independent, third party certification through organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green Seal, Blue Angel or Nordic Swan.
According to Siddiqui, many green products are also less expensive to buy and use compared to standard offerings. For example, Office Depot remanufactured ink and toner cartridges cost on average 15% less than new cartridges, and Energy Star qualified office equipment uses up to 75% less electricity than non-qualified equipment.
"Our customers view us as more than a provider of office supplies and services — we are their business partner," added Graham Cundick, Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing for Office Depot Europe. "And as their partner, we help them to achieve their business goals by educating them about making green purchase decisions."
To help customers make informed choices regarding their green options, Cundick noted that all six catalogs pair products with supporting environmental information, guidance on product choices, and clear definitions of environmental terms.
The Green Book also contains descriptions of specific environmental solutions offered in different Office Depot countries, such as ink and toner cartridge recycling, environmental reporting, and green office assessments.
"The catalogs further establish Office Depot’s global environmental leadership, and provide tangible evidence of our environmental strategy to buy green, be green, and sell green," Siddiqui said.
Source: (Office Depot)
