Office Depot recently announced its fourth Green Book Catalog of “environmentally preferable” products. I’m thrilled to see Office Depot promoting green sales, and I hope office managers everywhere are aware of these types of green resources. Having worked in many small offices, I’m a veteran of the monthly purchasing cycle where a supply catalog is passed around and worker bees note the items they need. Never was I given a catalog with green options.
While I would prefer that all of the products in the Office Depot catalog be selected based on multiple environmental considerations and be certified by an outside party, the green markets are not mature enough yet for that to be realistic. Office Depot does, however, do a very good job of explaining why products were selected for its catalog. According to the company’s site, products are selected for meeting at least one of three main environmental benefits: reduced waste, reduced energy and reduced chemical use. In other words, if a product is made with recycled content, it’s considered environmentally friendly. While EcoLogo requires additional environmental considerations and actual third-party certification, this level of transparency is an important first step.
As always, it’s important to consider multiple attributes when labeling a product green. Here is a sample of products with EcoLogo-certification that made Office Depot’s list:
- Sharp AL-1631 Digital Laser Copier
- Zebra Jimnie Clip Retractable Ballpoint Pens
- Lexmark T640n Monochrome Laser Printer
Posted by Mari in Green products