Several members of the ISU Student Environmental Council challenged the office superstore Staples to use only recycled fiber in its paper products as the students took part in a nationwide protest Wednesday.

On National Recycling Day, activists across the United States demonstrated at more than 50 Staples locations, participants said, protesting the wholesale destruction of forests by Staples, the nation’s largest office-supply store.

The group’s Paper Campaign also is demanding that Staples immediately remove from their shelves all wood and paper products made from old growth fiber and products made from fiber from U.S. public lands.

Jesse Holland, sophomore in liberal arts and sciences, spent the morning handing out flyers to Staples customers and informing them of Staples policies that may spell out destruction to the environment. Holland said he had faith that the protest would have an influence across the country.

“This event was started in Washington, D.C., by the Free the Planet organization,” Holland said. “There will be protests at 50 Staples stores nationwide, three of which are in Iowa. Of course we’ll have an impact.”

He said the council is not only protesting against Staples policies but also against its paper suppliers.

“Twelve thousand square miles of forest are cut every year for paper,” Holland said. “Half of all the trees that are cut down are turned into paper, and these percentages are increasing.”

Shelly Higdon, senior in environmental science, said the demonstration was part of a coalition sponsored by Iowa Students Toward Environmental Protection.

“We’ll have students from Grinnell protesting in Cedar Rapids and students from Drake will be in Ankeny,” Higdon said.

Despite the effect that the protesters were trying to have on business at Staples, Higdon said they had not received any form of negative response from Staples managers or employees.

Staples managers and employees refused to comment on the claims the student protesters were making about the company’s business practices.

Higdon said the nationwide protest would encourage consumers to consider the environment when they make their everyday purchases.

“We’ll definitely have an influence on the situation,” she said. “Everybody that comes by this store today will see us.”