Sustainability

Read all about these programs and more in our 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

Supplier engagement

We don't just hold ourselves to high standards; we encourage our suppliers to employ sustainable practices and to adhere to our policies including our Sustainability Policy, Paper and Wood-Product Sourcing Policy, Chemicals Policy, and Supplier Code of Conduct. We also participate in several groups with suppliers and customers to learn, collaborate, and advance our progress including the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, and the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council.

In 2022 we launched a new supplier assessment process to gather information about the environmental and social practices of suppliers providing us with products and services. This assessment will allow us to better evaluate sustainability performance of suppliers selling us products, understand how suppliers are integrating environmental and social responsibility into their operations, and identify areas for collaboration and improvement.

Energy and climate

Staples has been working on energy efficiency and climate issues for many years.

Measures we take to boost efficiency in our buildings include:

• Using lower wattage lighting and more efficient LED lamps
• Installing motion sensors for occupancy and daylight harvesting
• Optimizing energy management systems to control lighting and HVAC
• Using variable-speed drives on HVAC and other equipment
• Participating in energy consumption demand response programs

In 2021 we established a goal to reduce our operational (Scope 1&2) greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2028 from a 2021 baseline. We also committed to get 70% of our vendors by spend to set emissions reductions targets by 2028. We’re excited to share that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved Staples Inc.’s near-term science-based emissions reduction targets.

Thanks to our energy efficiency focus and the adoption of cleaner energy sources by the utilities who serve us, we have driven significant reductions in energy-related carbon emissions in support of our 2028 goal. In fact, Staples Inc. achieved a 24% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from 2021‐2023.

The fiscal year 2023 emissions for Staples U.S. Delivery are listed below.

Scope 1 = 31,072 MT CO₂e
Scope 2 (Market Based) = 33,583 MT CO₂e
Scope 2 (Location Based) = 35,388 MT CO₂e
Scope 3 = 3,925,792 MT CO₂e
Biogenic: 1858 MT CO₂e

Learn more about each scope of emissions

Staples, Inc. conducts an annual carbon inventory in which it finalizes its carbon emissions for the past fiscal year. The inventory's methodology follows that of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The annual inventories serve as the basis for Staples, Inc.'s approved science-based targets, including claims regarding carbon reductions. Staples, Inc. does not purchase voluntary carbon offsets at this time. Annual inventories have not been verified by an independent third party at this time.