Staples Canada has teamed up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. Elementary and Secondary schools across Canada are invited to enter the contest for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staples.       From now until January 31, 2020, schools can share their eco-initiatives that have positively impacted their school and community and submit their entries on the contest website, staples.ca/PowerEco.   "Each year, the Superpower your School Contest recognizes schools and students that have implemented exceptional eco-initiatives to help their communities and the environment," said David Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada. "We are happy to continue empowering these students by rewarding them with the latest technology to support them as they continue to build their awareness, consciousness and understanding of the environment."   To date, the contest has awarded 90 environmentally conscious schools with the latest technology to empower students to continue learning and developing their passion and awareness for the environment. Each year, the contest receives hundreds of entries from schools across Canada, sharing inspiring stories of what their teachers and students are doing to create a more sustainable future in their community.   To help schools prepare entries, Staples Canada, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada have assembled a series of resources, including:  

• A step-by-step entry guide
• Eligibility and entry criteria
• A set of frequently asked questions
• Rules and regulations
• Excerpts from past winning school entries

  The contest is held in collaboration with national charities, EcoKids and Earth Day Canada. EcoKids offers programs and resources for children, parents, educators, and communities in Canada to engage in environmental education. Earth Day Canada helps people and organizations reduce their environmental impact.   "We are thrilled to be working with Staples Canada again to celebrate the inspiring environmental initiatives taking place in schools across the country," said Cristina Greco, Interim Executive Director of EcoKids. "We are proud to support innovative approaches to stewardship and reward the valuable environmental work of Canadian schools and their communities."   Staples Canada helps schools make a difference Staples Canada is committed to helping schools do their part to save the environment by offering several recycling programs:  

• School Ink Recycling : Every year 300 million ink cartridges end up in North American landfills. Schools across the country can participate in this program by signing up to receive a free ink cartridge collection bin. For details and to register for a free ink bin visit canadaschoolrecycling.ca.
• Battery Recycling : Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect used batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) from all store locations and its Home Office for recycling. The partnership began in 2004 and to date over 1 million kilograms of used household batteries have been collected and safely recycled through the program.
• Writing Instruments: In 2012, Staples Canada launched a writing instrument recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle®. The program encourages customers to drop off used writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markets and highlighters at local stores, which are then shipped to TerraCycle for recycling.
• Electronics Recycling : Staples Canada and its national electronics recycling partner eCycle Solutions take back end-of-life electronics at almost all of its retail locations (excluding stores in Calgary, Alberta). Recyclable items accepted include cell phones, computers, computer parts and more. To date, Staples Canada has collected 20.5 million kilograms of e-waste for recycling through its electronics recycling program.

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