Framingham-based Staples Incorporated is expanding its electronics waste recycling program by accepting used computers and monitors of any make that can now be dropped off for a $10 fee at any of the office products chain"s 1,400 U.S. locations during store hours. The company is also planning the expansion of a four-year-old program allowing customers to drop off smaller devices such as cell phones, pagers and digital cameras for free, regardless of the brand or whether the device was bought at Staples. The expanded program will make Staples the first national retailer to accept computers for recycling on a daily, ongoing basis, said Mark Buckley, Staples" vice president of environmental affairs. Televisions and floor-model copiers won"t be taken. The computer drop-off program isn"t being offered in the 21 countries outside the United States where Staples operates.
Staples, which stands to boost customer traffic from people turning in old devices, says the $10 fee for large items will defray recycling costs. "When you start to talk about a heavy monitor and a large tower unit for a desktop computer, obviously there is a cost in handling, recycling and shipping," Buckley said. Staples said its program will ship the devices for domestic recycling by Vestal, N.Y.-based Amandi Services, which Staples calls "one of the country"s most experienced and innovative electronics recyclers" which complies with federal standards for electronics recycling and will take steps to ensure personal data stored on old computers aren"t compromised.