Office Depot Announces Major Environmental Initiative to Open Sustainable Retail Stores

Office Depot , a leading global provider of office products and services, today announced that the Company will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Commercial Interiors (CI) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for all new Office Depot retail stores, beginning in June 2010. LEED CI is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. Realizing that the Company does not always have control of the building -- especially when occupying an existing site -- Office Depot will make sustainable choices wherever possible and seek LEED CI certification.

14 new Office Depot store locations will be LEED CI certified, starting with the Company's newest location in Austin, TX, which is scheduled to open in June 2010. At each of these locations, Office Depot will look to mirror the impressive energy and monetary savings seen at Office Depot's first LEED Gold-Certified store in Austin, TX, which opened in April 2008.

Office Depot LEED CI Green Store Highlights

Features of all new Office Depot LEED CI certified stores will include:

-- Preferred parking designated for low-emitting, fuel efficient vehicles and carpooling.

-- Skylights (where applicable) will be used to harvest daylight for 90% of the store.

-- Reflective roof which features a membrane that helps to prevent absorption of the heat from the sun and keeps the interior of the store much cooler.

-- Energy Star rated HVAC equipment that exceeds ASHRAE standards.

-- T5 energy-efficient lighting, which is over 30% more efficient than typical retail lighting and will contribute to over 20% reduction in energy use.

-- Daylight and occupancy sensors which reduce energy use.

-- Water conservation interior fixtures, including tankless instant hot water heaters, low flush toilets, low flow urinals, and automatic shutoff sensors in restrooms that will use over 30% less water than the typical facility.

-- Construction waste that will be recycled when waste recycling is available.

-- Construction materials that consist of at least 10% recycled content.

-- Wood, 50% of which will come from well managed forests verified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

-- All interior finishes are made up low VOC emitting materials and finishes.

-- Green Power purchases supplementing electrical use.

-- An Energy Management System that allows tracking of energy usage and trends from one central location.

-- 100% Energy Star rated building equipment and appliances.

-- Office supplies, technology and furniture featuring a range of green attributes, including recycled content, remanufactured, Energy Star rated and non-toxic.

-- An in-store Recycling Center with environmental solutions including Office Depot Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling, Tech Recycling Service and Cell Phone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling.

Port-A-Cool, LLC is the ecological alternative for effective cooling

We’ve all heard it: reduce your carbon footprint, sustainability, and all about the dangers of global warming. You might ask yourself “How much is true and what can I do to improve the environment?” Little changes can make all the difference.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is the concept that every generation should meet their energy needs without compromising the energy needs of future generations. Efficiency and conservation are key components of energy sustainability. Energy sustainability focuses on long-term energy strategies and policies that ensure adequate energy to meet today’s needs, as well as tomorrow’s.
Sustainability also includes investing in research and development of advanced technologies for producing conventional energy sources, promoting the use of alternative energy sources, and encouraging sound environmental policies.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the direct effect your actions and lifestyle have on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Probably the biggest contributors to your footprint are your travel needs, and your electricity demands at home. However, all your actions have a direct or indirect impact, including your diet, and the clothes you wear. We know cars, buses and aeroplanes burn gasoline, public transport may use gasoline and electricity and your home uses a significant portion of your personal electricity needs that generally comes from fossil fuel burning power plants. All these actions contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change.

What is Port-A-Cool, LLC doing to help?

• Port-A-Cool, LLC recycles all scrap plastic from the manufacture of the rotationally molded plastic housings and uses recycled plastic in the molds, reducing waste.
• Port-A-Cool® portable evaporative cooling units utilize an all natural cooling method and haveimplemented state-of-the-art technology to perfect the process.
• No harmful greenhouse gases are emitted from the units during the cooling process.
• Only tap water and 115v or 220v of electricity are needed. The 36 inch model produces cool air for eight hours for less than 1 euro.

An environmentally friendly process for cooling, coupled with being “green” before “green” was cool. That has always been the “natural” choice for Port-A-Cool, LLC.

For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call +34- 932 312 810 or Or, you can visit us online at www.lc-europe.com.