Office Depot recycles nearly 1.5M lbs. of tech waste

Boca Raton, Fla. Office Depot said Wednesday that its Tech Recycling Service has recycled almost 1.5 million lbs. of technology in 2008.

The program, originally introduced in 2007, enables customers to recycle electronics, including computers, printers, media drives and small televisions, at 1,100 Office Depot stores nationwide. Intechra, Office Depot’s recycling vendor, handles the physical recycling process.

During 2008, the service collected more than 12,000 printers, 6,000 computers, 6,000 PC monitors and approximately 2,500 telephones. After items are collected by Office Depot and shipped to Intechra, materials are crushed, compacted and turned into such raw materials as glass, plastic, copper and aluminum, according to a company statement.

Office Depot also offers other recycling solutions such as its Tech Trade-In Program, cell phone and battery recycling, and ink and toner cartridge recycling.