Recycling Program “Prints” Money For Schools (NAPSA)—Ata time when public education is facing massive budget cuts, a retailer of office and school supplies has teamed up with The National Education Association Foundation to provide grants to schools. This new program is hoping to raise millions of dollars for local schools by recycling used inkjet and laser toner cartridges. The retailer, Staples, will donate $1 for every eligible cartridge recycled in its stores. The goalis to raise $5 million for public education. According to Staples chairman and founder Tom Stemberg, “This program is an easy way for Staples to join forces with our customers and educators to help publie education and the environment in the communities we serve.” Stemberg believes that with almost 50 million children enrolled in the nation’s public schools and $80 billion in state budget deficits expected this year, now is the time for every community and every business to get involved. Inkjet printers are commonplace in American homes and businesses. It’s estimated 80 percent of inkjet cartridges are thrown in the trash whereit is expected they would remain in the waste stream for centuries instead of simply recycling them for reuse. The program will makeit easier to recycle used inkjet and laser toner cartridges in clearly marked recycling bins at all 1,100 Staples stores nationwide. Tom Cavanagh, star of the “Ed” star Tom Cavanagh seen here with some children from Boys & Girls Club. NBC hit television series “Ed,” helped launch the campaign along with The NEA Foundation president and CEO Judith Renyi. Cavanagh, a lifelong education advocate, is helping to spread the word about the benefits of the recycling effort. Said Cavanagh, “Education has always been a priority for my family and the Staples program feels like a natural extension to my lifelong interest in education. Through ‘Staples Recycle for Education,’ each of us has the opportunity to positively impact educational funding, and preserve the environment at the same time. I encourage everyone to bring in their empty cartridges to Staples to support education in their homestate.” Staples, Ine., an $11.6 billion retailer headquartered outside of Boston, Massachusetts, sells a wide rangeof office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. To learn more, visit www.sta ples.com/recycleforeducation.
