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http://www.cartridgenews.com/the-sun-sets-on-staples-recycle-for-education-ink-and-toner-cartridge-program/?p=0118
The Sun Sets on Staples’ Recycle for Education Ink and Toner Cartridge Program
May
15, 2008 marked the end of a 5 year era as Staples pulled the plug on
its mildly controversial Recycle for Education Ink and Toner Cartridge
Recycling Program and scaled it back into its storewide recycling
initiative. As we reported earlier, schools in Galesburg, Illinois made
local headlines when they faced long delays in recouping the money
Staples promised to pay for their recyclable cartridges. They
eventually got their refunds, but only after months of calls and
emails. A few weeks after our report, Staples instituted the following
key changes to its program:* It’s not just for educators anymore.
* Mailed cartridges are no longer accepted. You have to walk into a store and physically submit your cartridges.
* Staples now accepts all HP, Lexmark and Dell ink and toner cartridges.
* You can only bring in up to three cartridges per day.
* No more monetary donations. Staples Rewards is your new currency and
you get $3 per cartridge. Staples then sends you your rewards once you
earn $10 or at the end of the calendar year, whichever comes first. In
other words, you’ll have to make at least two trips to your local
Staples to receive your rewards, or you’ll have to wait until the end
of the year to collect.Back in April, I questioned whether
Recycle for Education was just a marketing initiative designed to
capitalize on the green movement, especially considering the trouble
that the Galesburg schools went through to collect their promised
refunds. These changes and their not-so-coincidental timing remind all
of us that we need to do our homework before we participate in
corporate-based recycling initiatives. Saving the planet certainly
stirs up emotions in soccer moms and eco-activists alike, and it also
appeals to businesses engaging in sustainable practices. Staples seems
to have recognized that it pays to capitalize on eco-awareness, but not
at the expense of bad PR.
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