Staples Announces Finalists of Global Search for the Next Green Office Product

Taking environmental consciousness to a global level, Staples Inc., Framingham, Mass., the world's largest office products company, today announced the universities with finalist concepts for the inaugural Staples Global EcoEasy Challenge. The program received more than 60 submissions from around the world describing innovative concepts for an environmentally preferable business or home office product. From the entries received, teams from five countries will compete for the grand prize at a finals event in New York City on April 20, 2010.

Staples, in partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology's Golisano Institute for Sustainability, issued a call to action to leading technology institutions around the world. The challenge prompted students to develop a new design of an existing product that represents greater environmental responsibility or sustainability; one that uses an eco-innovative material; or a completely new product that promotes sustainability. Each finalist team consists of up to five students from the participating universities.

"The Global EcoEasy Challenge is a way for students from some of the world's leading technology institutions to apply their design and engineering expertise to develop a product that will benefit the greater good," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs for Staples. "Staples' commitment to designing more environmentally responsible products as compared to conventional products is evident by our own EcoEasy and Sustainable Earth brands, in addition to the thousands of other eco-preferable products and services that we offer our customers."

The finalist teams include:

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India)

Concept: A desk chair that controls office power consumption to avoid wasted energy
Concept: A shredder with innovative technology to reduce power consumption
Concept: A more eco-responsible take on the pen that significantly increases the product's lifespan

University of California, Berkeley (United States)