Office Depot has joined the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Commercial Buildings Partner program, which commits the office supply retailer to improve energy efficiency at its retail stores, and to track its energy consumption at each individual location using Energy Star tools to score performance.
Office Depot's environmental strategy is to "buy green, be green and sell green." As an example, the retailer offers a selection of Energy-Star qualified technology products in its retail stores, online at www.officedepot.com/greeneroffice, and in The Green Book, a catalog of environmentally-preferable products.
Office Depot also is building more environmentally sustainable facilities featuring Energy Star-rated equipment including its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certified store in Austin, Tex. and a number of new LEED Commercial Interior retail store locations.
The EPA's Energy Star Leaders prevented the emissions of more than 220,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved more than $48 million across their commercial building portfolios in 2009.
In addition, several facilities already meet the Energy Star Challenge for Industry, reducing their energy intensity by 10 percent within 5 years or less.