"The Easy Button" just keeps getting better. Staples just recently released their 2006 Soul Report, detailing their social responsibility efforts.

Measures include ethics streamlining efforts, with new associate education programs, case management systems, and manufacturing audits. In addition, they improved customer privacy programs, and internal communication.

Environmentally speaking, Staples has doubled its renewable energy use to 20% of total U.S. consumption, and increased its stock of recycled products alongside its ink cartridge recycling efforts. They also re-structured its delivery fleet to save about 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually.

In community development, Staples donated just shy of $13 million to education while also initiating and promoting other educational efforts worldwide. They also raised $7 million for charities.

Additionally, they increased employee racial and gender diversity company-wide. All in all, Staples appears to be very effective in forwarding their social bottom line. Customers have noticed too. Around here, everywhere that used to be an Office Depot, is now an empty building.