Office Depot® Launches Unique Environmental Partnership With EarthEra By "Growing Greener" During the Subway Fresh Fit 600 At Phoenix Intl. Raceway
No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy Impala Driven By Tony Stewart Will Feature Special Green-Themed Paint Scheme During Race
Boca Raton, Fla., April 6, 2010 – In racing, green means go – and “Grow Greener” is the message Office Depot is encouraging NASCAR® fans and business customers to embrace as it recognizes the upcoming 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.
Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), the Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR® and co-primary sponsor of Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice team, announced today that it is launching an innovative partnership with EarthEra®, a program created by NextEra™ Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power.
To launch the partnership’s first program, “Greener Shipping”, Office Depot will balance the carbon footprint of the Subway Fresh Fit 600 race on Saturday, April 10, at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Through its purchase of EarthEra products, Office Depot is helping the race “grow greener” by balancing the carbon footprint of not just the cars on the track, but fan travel, race team travel and track operations during the race. Due to the innovative structure of the EarthEra program, 100 percent of the revenue from Office Depot’s purchase will be used to create new renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar, in the United States – thus helping the country transition to a greener and cleaner energy future.
Special Green-Themed Race Car Launches ‘Greener Shipping’
The No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy Impala driven by two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ champion Tony Stewart will feature a special green-themed paint scheme during the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at PIR (Saturday, April 10, 7 p.m. EST, FOX). The paint scheme will include the Office Depot and EarthEra logos on the car’s rear TV panel with a “Greener Shipping” message. The new Office Depot Greener Shipping Program encourages eligible Office Depot customers to “grow greener” by changing how they buy office supplies. When eligible customers eliminate small orders, increase average order size and help reduce delivery frequency, Office Depot will provide rebates on certain green products and purchase EarthEra products on the customer’s behalf.
“Our philosophy at Office Depot is that every step that individuals, businesses or sporting events take to ‘grow greener’ is a step in a positive direction,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. “By involving our NASCAR sponsorship, we specifically wanted to move the dialogue on going greener away from its typical niche, to a much wider audience. In addition, like many global corporations with leading environmental programs, we also have a large segment of customers who are NASCAR fans. As part of our extensive effort to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are proud to work with the NASCAR community to help continue its efforts to grow greener.”
Tony Stewart, who is currently eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ point standings, said he was excited to lend his support to the partnership between Office Depot and EarthEra.
“I love spending time outdoors, especially when I’m at home, and taking care of the environment is important to me,” said Stewart, who lives near his hometown of Columbus, Indiana, and functions in the dual role of driver and team owner at Stewart-Haas Racing. “As a business owner myself, I’m always trying to find better and more efficient ways of doing things to cut down on waste, and I’m proud to help get the word out about the partnership between Office Depot and EarthEra.”
NASCAR and its partners share a commitment to preserving the environment. The sport has launched many programs to help it operate in an environmentally responsible way. A comprehensive green strategy for NASCAR and its stakeholders is focused on reducing the sport's carbon footprint and waste production while promoting conservation and sustainability messages to fans.
“We are proud to partner with Office Depot to reduce the carbon footprint of the race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway,” said Nate Hanson, Vice President Power Marketing, NextEra Energy Resources. “We applaud Office Depot for continuing to take a leadership role in educating race fans, promoting greener office product solutions for its customers and for recognizing the benefits of EarthEra, a clean energy future.”
About Office Depot’s Partnership with EarthEra
Office Depot will balance the entire estimated carbon-dioxide emissions associated with the Subway Fresh Fit 600 on Saturday, April 10, at PIR by purchasing Green-e Certified Products from EarthEra. Green-e is the nation's leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Green-e certification ensures greenhouse gas emission reductions are real, verifiable, enforceable, permanent and incremental to the status quo.
The Greener Shipping Program is one of Office Depot’s many efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and implement environmental leadership programs. In 2007, Office Depot won an Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Smartway Transportation Program for its efforts to track and reduce its carbon footprint from transportation. In addition, the company has one of the most extensive energy efficiency and green building programs in the retail industry.
To learn more about Office Depot’s Earth Day Grow Greener campaign, please visit www.officedepotgrowgreener.com.
To buy greener office products from Office Depot, please visit www.officedepot.com/yourgreeneroffice.
For more information about Office Depot’s overall environmental initiatives, please visit http://socialpressofficedepot.com/environmental-initiatives/.
To learn about Office Depot Racing, go to http://socialpressofficedepot.com/office-depot-racing/.
You can also find Office Depot on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OfficeDepot and Twitter at http://twitter.com/officedepot.
About Office Depot
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. From the local corner store to the Fortune 500 company, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,584 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.1 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $12.1 billion, and employs about 41,000 associates around the world. The company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 51 countries. Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.
About EarthEra
EarthEra, a program created by NextEra Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power, provides companies and individuals the opportunity to reduce their carbon impact and participate in the development of future renewable projects. 100% of the revenue from EarthEra product purchases are directed to EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust and used to build new renewable energy facilities in North America. To date, the Trust has over $23 million in commitments from leading organizations and forward thinking individuals across the nation. Recognizing professional motor sports as an important communication platform, in 2009 NextEra Energy Resources became the Official Renewable Energy Provider to the Daytona International and Homestead-Miami Speedways as well as the primary sponsor of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 truck race. NextEra Energy Resources is a subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL). For more information visit: www.EarthEra.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com, www.FPLGroup.com.
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