Office Depot lowers carbon footprint

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. Office Depot reported Tuesday that it has achieved a 10.1% absolute reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas and electricity consumed in its North American retail stores, warehouses and offices.

According to the company, between 2005 and 2006 Office Depot reduced electricity consumption by approximately 65 million kilowatt hours and natural gas by 50,000 mmBTU.

"Office Depot's environmental strategy is structured around a vision to increasingly buy green, be green and sell green," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, environmental strategy advisor for Office Depot. "By reducing greenhouse gases so dramatically in one year, we have clearly shown a commitment to being green and reducing our carbon footprint."

Office Depot reported that it was able to reduce emissions through initiatives such as switching to energy-efficient lights at its North American retail stores, installing new high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning units and tracking of energy usage and trends from a central location.