Office Depot races to go green

BOCA RATON, Fla. Office Depot announced that it is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by partnering with EarthEra a program created by NextEra Energy Resources, North America's largest producer of wind and solar power.

Through the partnership, Office Depot said it will balance the carbon footprint of its sponsored NASCAR car by purchasing EarthEra products. In addition, 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. The paint scheme will include the Office Depot and EarthEra logos on the car's rear TV panel with a  "Greener Shipping" message.

"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."