Office Depot and Office-Max brands have launched its Binder Recycling Program to encouraging shoppers to help preserve the environment by recycling old binders through recycling company TerraCycle. Shoppers can bring any old empty binder to an Office Depot or OfficeMax retail location and receive a $2 instant discount off a same-day binder purchase, according to a news release.

Office Depot, Inc. (ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, through its Office Depot and OfficeMax brands, today announced the launch of its Binder Recycling Program, encouraging shoppers to help preserve the environment by recycling old binders. Starting today, shoppers can bring any old empty binder to an Office Depot or OfficeMax retail location and receive a $2 instant discount off a same-day binder purchase.

Office Depot Inc (NASDAQ:ODP) has established a partnership with TerraCycle, which will boost the duo’s campaign in advocating for the preservation of the environment by shoppers. While the former is the global provider of office products, services, and solutions, the latter fights towards the need for recycling of waste even that which is thought to be non-recyclable. Hence, their joint efforts have resulted in the launch a Binder Recycling Program.

As an environmental company, TerraCycle has a unique relationship with Earth Day. Celebrating our environment and spreading awareness and activism is wonderful, but we also like to remind people that the Earth needs to be taken care of every day. For the past few years, we’ve had an array of special events around Earth Day. In 2009, we launched our mini-series on National Geographic – Garbage Moguls – and in 2010, we had a Walmart Hotspot with sixty TerraCycle products were displayed in Walmart stores, right next to the products that they used to be! Think, drink pouch backpacks next to boxes of Capri Sun. Last year, 2011, we had the Old Navy Flip-Flop Replay in which we collected used flip flops at Old Navy stores across the country during the Earth Month. That same month, in partnership with Office Depot, we collected used pens and writing instruments at their retail locations.

Two ambitious young Princeton students, Tom Szasky and Jon Beyer, founded Terracycle in 2001. Their main idea in founding the company was to do something productive using waste products. They used worms to turn garbage into useful items like fertilizer. This is a process known as upcycling. Some of the products produced by Terracycle include fertilizer, all-purpose cleaner, recycled fence, picture frames, and cactus plant food. Rubbermaid and Oxo Good Grips are two U.S. plastic companies that have purchased plastics from TerraCycle. Old Navy and Office Depot each had promotions sponsored by Terracycle for Earth Day. Terracycle also had a program called Bottle Brigade that was used for fundraising for schools.

Have old make up containers? Don’t trash them! Origins will actually take back and recycle any make up container. M.A.C. cosmetics will give you a free lipstick when you return six of their primary containers. Who doesn't have old pens in the bottom of their purse? Billions of these wind up in our landfills each year. They can be difficult to recycle. Office Depot teams up with Terracycle once a year to recycle them responsibly.

TerraCycle collecting items at Office Depot and Old Navy. If you are doing some spring cleaning, don’t toss those old flip flops or used pens into the trash can—they can be recycled by TerraCycle and kept out of the community landfills. According to a TerraCycle press release, shoppers still have time Saturday (April 23) to bring 10 used pens, markers or mechanical pencils to Office Depot at 569 Ritchie Highway and receive a coupon towards new Sanford products (maker of Sharpie, Expo, PaperMate). Next door at Old Navy in Severna Park, shoppers can deposit their used flip flops into collection bins inside the Old Navy store through May 21.

To commemorate Earth Day this weekend, Old Navy and Office Depot location in Pasadena have partnered with TerraCycle The Old Navy and Office Depot locations in the Pasadena area have teamed up with my company, TerraCycle to provide local consumers a chance to recycle starting Friday and lasting through May 21. Shopper can drop of their used pens and flip-flops to Pasadena Office Depot and Old Navy locations which will then be recycled by TerraCycle into playgrounds to be donated to communities around the U.S. Between April 17-23, ten used pens, markers or mechanical pencils to Office Depot will earn shoppers a coupon towards new Sanford products (Sharpie, Expo, PaperMate). Used writing instruments will be sent to TerraCycle will recycle the used writing utensils into new office products like trash cans and desk organizers.