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ink/toner cartridge recycling primer/faq for Office Depot / OfficeMax and Staples (vers. 2020.07.15)

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So, the below is what I have worked up so far. This is a work in progress and now I am looking for corrections/input/suggestions.

For example, what other information is wanted or what information included below is not wanted.


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ink/toner cartridge recycling primer/faq for Office Depot / OfficeMax and Staples (vers. 2020.07.15)

  • Office Depot / OfficeMax:
    • Recycle:
      • Value: $2 in Rewards per cartridge recycled -- see purchase requirement below.
      • Limit: 10 per calendar month - no per day restriction.
      • Type: Ink or toner cartridge -- all brands -- OD/OM does not accept damaged cartridges for recycling.
    • Purchase requirement:
      • To qualify to recycle for a month, qualified purchases of $10 or more must be made in that month.
      • Qualifying purchases exclude taxes; delivery fees; postage stamps; gift and prepaid cards; and purchases made with Rewards Certificates, Merchandise Certificates, and Merchandise Cards.
    • Recycling Rewards:
      • Issued:
        • Recycling Rewards are paid out monthly together with Standard Rewards in the form of a Rewards Certificate.
        • Rewards are paid out to the penny.
        • Rewards Certificates are made available within 30 days after the end of the month in which the Rewards are earned. Generally around mid-month.
      • Usage: Reward certificates may be redeemed on purchases (excluding all gift and prepaid cards) at Office Depot or OfficeMax stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, online and by phone. Unlimited use until exhausted or expired.
      • Expiration: Per the terms of the program, Reward certificates are valid for 60 days after the date of issuance. All reward certificates expire at 11:59 PM ET on the date printed on the certificate. In practice, Rewards certificates are valid for two months after the month in which they are issued. For example, for Rewards issued sometime in July, the Rewards are valid until the last day of September at 11:59 PM ET.
    • Member services:

  • Staples:
    • Recycle:
      • Value: $2 in rewards per cartridge recycled -- see purchase requirement below.
      • Limit: Membership Level:
        • Standard: 10 per calendar month - no per day restriction.
        • Premier ($1000 in qualified purchases): 20 per calendar month - no per day restriction.
        • Plus (paid membership): 20 per calendar month - no per day restriction.
      • Type: Any used ink or toner cartridge sold at any retail stores in the US.
    • Purchase requirement
      • $30 $50 in ink/toner purchases in the past 180 days.
    • Recycling rewards:
      • Issued: Monthly, on a separate rewards certificate from purchase rewards, usually in the middle of the month after the month in which the recycling occurred. The rewards certificate is printable from the rewards site (ink rewards certificates can also be emailed or US Mailed).
      • Usage: Recycling rewards -- and purchase rewards -- are redeemable for most merchandise in Staples stores, online at staples.com® or by phone at 1-800-333-3330 but cannot be redeemed for or applied against taxes, cash, credit remittance, delivery charges, custom printing orders placed online, promotional products, any purchases made on print.staples.com, documents.staples.com, staplespromotionalproducts.com, staplescustomprinting.btobsource.com, shopstaplesmobile.com, appcenter.staples.com, Staples gift cards, third-party gift cards, prepaid phone cards, postage stamps, prior purchases, Staples Industrialsm purchases or any purchases made on other provider Web sites.
        • Online: One transaction - must use full amount of reward check.
        • In-store: Two transactions - a balance coupon is issued in-store if rewards check is not used all at once. Balance coupon has same expiration date as rewards check and must be used all at once in-store or online.
      • Expiration: Rewards expire the last day of the month following the month of issuance, at the end of the day EST and cannot be redeemed after the expiration date. Expired, lost or misdirected Rewards will not be reissued.
    • Member services

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FAQ section (vers. 2017.07.26):


Q. (OD/OM) Do you have to recycle or make a qualified purchase first?

A. It does not matter.


Q. Where can I get used ink/toner cartridges?

A. Family and friends, neighbors, thift shops, garage/rummage sales, and of course like everything else, eBay.


Q. If I purchase an item with Rewards will that purchase count toward my purchase requirement for recycling?

A. No. By the extent the purchase is paid for with Rewards, it will not count as a qualifying purchase for the purpose of the recycling purchase requirement.


Q. (Staples) Is there any way to have the opportunity to qualify to recycle 20 carts per month without making $1000 or more in qualified purchases?

A. There are two other options if you want the opportunity to qualify to recycle 20 carts per month but do not want to make the $1000 or more in qualified purchases to reach Premier:With either option, you are still required to have spent at least $30 on ink and/or toner in the past 180 day to qualify to recycle.


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Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards Everything - the new rewards program beginning 07/01/2017.

The Staples Information Thread

Warning: Office Depot Worklife Rewards changing June 17

Office Depot Ink Recycling Policy: 20 cartridges per month as of 4/1/2010

Office Depot Ink Cartridge Recycling changing?

Office Max changes their ink recycling 05/10/09 (w/ additional policy changes 1/1/10)

Staples new ink recycling policy changes Starts July 1, 2010

Staples new ink recycling policy changes Starts Feb 1

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Last Edited by bb182 May 26, 2016 at 09:47 PM
To check how long it has been since you last purchased ink:
http://www.calendar-12.com/date_add_days (credit to E_W)

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> bubble2 14,664 Posts
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bpvh
06-10-2010 at 11:33 AM.
06-10-2010 at 11:33 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
Let me see if I understood the OD program right...

The checks are issued "quarterly with purchase rewards about 60 days after quarter's end".

So, for the April-June cycle that ends on June 30th, they'll start mailing the checks out on September 1st, and the expiration date will be November 30th?
More or less.

Members start receiving their rewards payouts near the end of August and yes, the expiration would be 11/30.
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tenderidol
06-10-2010 at 11:37 AM.
06-10-2010 at 11:37 AM.
Quote from bpvh :
More or less.

Members start receiving their rewards payouts near the end of August and yes, the expiration would be 11/30.
Thanks again. So, is there any chance of "overlap" to combine two rewards? If the July-Sep will be delivered around the end of November, there should be only few days of overlap, correct? Here is the my last, naive OD rewards question: Can we use more than one rewards check for online purchases (or is it similar to OM, where you can only use 1 online, but can combine up to 3 over the phone)?
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Last edited by tenderidol June 10, 2010 at 11:40 AM.
Joined Aug 2006
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bpvh
06-10-2010 at 11:49 AM.
06-10-2010 at 11:49 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
Thanks again. So, is there any chance of "overlap" to combine two rewards? If the July-Sep will be delivered around the end of November, there should be only few days of overlap, correct? Here is the my last, naive OD rewards question: Can we use more than one rewards check for online purchases (or is it similar to OM, where you can only use 1 online, but can combine up to 3 over the phone)?
Yes, it is possible to have a few days of overlap between two consecutive quarters rewards payouts.

I am not sure if OD has a limit on rewards cards specifically for online purchases as I have never used more than one on an order ... but rewards cards are entered online in the same functional box as gift cards and I have used a rewards card and several gift cards on one order without a problem. If there is a limit, it probably applies to rewards and gift cards equally.
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m124
06-13-2010 at 11:06 AM.
06-13-2010 at 11:06 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
Thanks again. So, is there any chance of "overlap" to combine two rewards? If the July-Sep will be delivered around the end of November, there should be only few days of overlap, correct? Here is the my last, naive OD rewards question: Can we use more than one rewards check for online purchases (or is it similar to OM, where you can only use 1 online, but can combine up to 3 over the phone)?
Someone even reported that they were able to use a rewards card past its stated expiration date, so even more overlap days potentially.
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Hoseman666
06-13-2010 at 11:35 AM.
06-13-2010 at 11:35 AM.
Quote from m124 :
Someone even reported that they were able to use a rewards card past its stated expiration date, so even more overlap days potentially.
For the rewards that expired 5/31, I was able to use the WLR until 6/5, when the balance ran out.
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ttboy
06-17-2010 at 05:29 AM.
06-17-2010 at 05:29 AM.
OD appears to have updated the reward $$. Interesting to me is that I have gotten credited the full $180 of rewards($60 ink recycling each month for the 3 months) eventhough i have only made purchases with my worklife rewards card. I had thought we were thinking that the purchases with WLR would not qualify your recycling...buit that must nopt be the case!! GOOD!!
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bpvh
06-17-2010 at 10:06 AM.
06-17-2010 at 10:06 AM.
Quote from ttboy :
OD appears to have updated the reward $$. Interesting to me is that I have gotten credited the full $180 of rewards($60 ink recycling each month for the 3 months) eventhough i have only made purchases with my worklife rewards card. I had thought we were thinking that the purchases with WLR would not qualify your recycling...buit that must nopt be the case!! GOOD!!
OD sent out an email stating the change.

Since there is ample time before OD pays out the rewards for it to make a correction, it might be too soon to know what is going to happen in the end.
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ttboy
06-18-2010 at 05:42 AM.
06-18-2010 at 05:42 AM.
I did not get that email, so i am safe!! HAHA
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bpvh
06-18-2010 at 01:53 PM.
06-18-2010 at 01:53 PM.
Staples rewards certificates for May are available on the rewards site.
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ttboy
06-19-2010 at 03:44 AM.
06-19-2010 at 03:44 AM.
Quote from bpvh :
Staples rewards certificates for May are available on the rewards site.
wow, thanks!
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fredandbetty
06-19-2010 at 04:00 AM.
06-19-2010 at 04:00 AM.
Quote from ttboy :
so I hear the rumor that staples is supposed to reduce the reward to $2 per cartridge starting in July. hopefully the others won't follow, as the others both have a purchase requirement.
yeah it really kinda sucks now, i'm glad I had already turned in my last ten cartridges at staples...
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puckish
06-19-2010 at 06:58 PM.
06-19-2010 at 06:58 PM.
A question that I have not seen addressed:

Do these programs at Staples, OD, and OM count a month as the first through the last calendar day of that month, or is it a 30 day period after you turn in cartridges?

e.g., Can I turn in 20 cartridges on the last day of a month and then 20 more the next day, on the first of the next month, and be credited for all 40? (Assuming premier for Staples and the regular for OD and OM.)

Thanks in advance for an answer.
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tenderidol
06-19-2010 at 07:10 PM.
06-19-2010 at 07:10 PM.
Quote from puckish :
A question that I have not seen addressed:

Do these programs at Staples, OD, and OM count a month as the first through the last calendar day of that month, or is it a 30 day period after you turn in cartridges?

e.g., Can I turn in 20 cartridges on the last day of a month and then 20 more the next day, on the first of the next month, and be credited for all 40? (Assuming premier for Staples and the regular for OD and OM.)

Thanks in advance for an answer.
10 per month for Staples; you cant double dip (and same for OM and OD) laugh out loud
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bpvh
06-19-2010 at 07:32 PM.
06-19-2010 at 07:32 PM.
Quote from puckish :
A question that I have not seen addressed:

Do these programs at Staples, OD, and OM count a month as the first through the last calendar day of that month, or is it a 30 day period after you turn in cartridges?

e.g., Can I turn in 20 cartridges on the last day of a month and then 20 more the next day, on the first of the next month, and be credited for all 40? (Assuming premier for Staples and the regular for OD and OM.)

Thanks in advance for an answer.
The time periods are calendar months, so can recycle 20 on May 31st and 20 again on June 1st and credit will be received for 20 in May and 20 in June. This goes for OD, OM and Staples Premier. Staples standard of course would be 10 for each of the days above.
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tenderidol
06-19-2010 at 07:39 PM.
06-19-2010 at 07:39 PM.
Quote from bpvh :
The time periods are calendar months, so can recycle 20 on May 31st and 20 again on June 1st and credit will be received for 20 in May and 20 in June. This goes for OD, OM and Staples Premier. Staples standard of course would be 10 for each of the days above.
I think his scenario was "recycle 10 on May 30th, recycle 10 more on 31st and get rewards for 20 cartridges for the month of May".
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