Staples plan is to recycle nearly everything — and pay their customers for it.

Unfortunately this could be the case and the cynic in me feels this could be a green washing scheme like you said.

But hopefully with what some cities are doing now with charging the full economic and social cost of blue & black bin programs to companies and manufactures this could start having a real good impact.

Specially since most manufactures shift the cost of recycling and trash to communities and tax payers. Instead this cost should be internalised by the manufacturer and retailer.

Hopefully this kind of shift promotes better sustainable packaging, and prevents things like planed obsolescence and fast fashion.