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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



OFFICE DEPOT ENHANCES BRANDED PAPER LINEUP
2004 Offerings Feature New Packaging, Improved Brightness and Smoothness, and Increased Recycled Content

DELRAY BEACH, FL, June 2, 2004 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP), the world's largest reseller of recycled paper, today announced several enhancements to its branded lineup of copy, inkjet and laser papers. These enhancements include a new graphic design, better performance and increased environmental benefits.

"Office Depot offers the industry's most comprehensive lineup of paper products," noted Alex Weatherall, Vice President of Merchandising for Office Depot. "However, the feedback we've received from our customers indicates that they don't always know the difference between paper types or which particular paper is the best fit for their needs. To that end, we've taken a fresh look at our branded paper and made specific improvements in packaging, quality, item assortment and environmental stance - changes that will provide a more consistent and customer-centric shopping experience in all of our channels."

Weatherall noted that Office Depot's enhanced branded offerings, which will be available through all Office Depot channels by the end of June, consist of the following papers: Premium White Copy Paper, Premium EnviroCopyŌ Recycled Copy Paper, Platinum Super White Copy Paper, Premium Multipurpose Paper, Premium Inkjet Paper, Premium Laser Paper, Platinum Color Inkjet Paper, Platinum Color Laser Paper and Platinum Color Copy Paper.

New Packaging
According to Weatherall, the enhanced package design more accurately reflects recent quality advancements and test results, improves the image of Office Depot branded products and better positions Office Depot as a national brand equivalent.

"The updated packaging features a richer version of the existing color palette and has a new quadrant design that highlights the product image, the Office Depot logo and the features and benefits that facilitate the buying process," Weatherall said. "It provides a consistent look and feel across all SKUs and helps customers make purchasing decisions by clearly noting step-up features and including a comparison chart on the back of each ream."

Improved Brightness and Smoothness
The company also improved the brightness of several of its branded papers, including EnviroCopy Recycled Copy Paper, which contains an industry-leading 35% post consumer waste (PCW) recycled content, and Multipurpose Paper, which is now available for the first time in a 10-ream case. Additionally, Office Depot increased the smoothness on many of its products.

Increased Recycled Content
However, perhaps the most noteworthy changes in the Office Depot lineup concern environmental performance:
  • White Copy Paper will change from 0% to 10% PCW recycled content
  • Inkjet Paper will change from 30% to 35% PCW recycled content
  • Laser Paper will change from 30% to 35% PCW recycled content
  • Color Laser Paper will change from 10% to 30% PCW recycled content
  • Color Copier Paper will change from 10% to 30% PCW recycled content
Additionally, all Office Depot brand paper is now elemental chlorine free, employing an advanced brightening process to reduce pollution while enabling the production of bright, white paper.

"In 2003, Office Depot declared its commitment to enhance the environmental performance of its paper by increasing the number of products containing PCW recycled fiber as well as the amount of PCW recycled content in those products," said Tyler Elm, Director of Environmental Affairs for Office Depot. "The introduction of our new branded paper lineup is the latest demonstration of the company's ability to lead by example and honor public commitments in ways that produce tangible, measurable results."

Of particular note to Elm is the fact that Office Depot is the first reseller to include PCW recycled content fiber in its standard copy paper - paper that is ideal for every day, high-volume copy and printing. Compared to standard copy paper, Office Depot's new elemental chlorine free, 10% PCW content Premium White Copy Paper:
  • Requires 10% fewer trees to produce
  • Is 4% more energy efficient
  • Results in 4% fewer greenhouse gas emissions
  • Produces 9% fewer hazardous air pollutants, and
  • Releases 5% less solid waste and water pollution.
Elm also reiterated the fact that Office Depot's EnviroCopy 35% PCW recycled content paper is now not only better for the environment, but brighter than the company's standard Premium White Copy Paper.

"EnviroCopy is also the first house brand paper certified by Green Seal, a nonprofit organization that establishes standards for environmentally preferable products," Elm said, in noting that EnviroCopy paper exceeds U.S. government and most state environmental standards.

Based on 2003 sales data, Elm forecasts that the annual environmental benefits associated with the sale and use of the new Office Depot brand papers will more than double.

According to Elm, compared with the use of standard copy paper, the estimated annual environmental benefits of Office Depot recycled content papers include the:
  • Conservation of 1.3 million fully grown trees
  • Conservation of 888 billion BTUs of energy
  • Prevention of 110 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Prevention of 102 thousand pounds of hazardous air pollutants
  • Prevention of 57 million pounds of solid waste, and
  • Prevention of 538 million gallons water pollution.
"These are real, quantifiable differences that affect the air we breathe and the land we live on," Elm stated.

For example, to put these benefits into perspective:
  • The energy saved is equivalent to the annual consumption of 8,534 households
  • The waste water saved is equivalent to the annual use of 5,539 households
  • The solid waste avoided is equivalent to the annual waste generated by 13,421 households
  • The greenhouse gas emissions avoided are equivalent to that of 9,683 cars. About Office Depot
    With annual sales of more than $12 billion, no one sells more office supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Fla., the company conducts business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

    Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel - from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The company is the world's number two online retailer - generating $2.6B in sales for FY'03. In North America, Office Depot has 900 retail stores in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.

    The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

    CONTACT: Brian Levine, Office Depot, 561-438-2895 blevine@officedepot.com

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