Welcome to Argos, part of Home Retail Group.

Home Retail Group is the market leader in the home and general merchandise market. More information on Home Retail Group can be found on its corporate website, www.homeretailgroup.com (this is a separate website and will open a new window), including sections on investor relations, media centre, corporate responsibility and careers.

Please read the below to learn about:

• About Argos – A brief introduction to us
• Corporate responsibility (‘Responsible retailing’) – Details of our policy
• Easier shopping for customers – How we make our stores and services accessible to everyone
• Argos and the environment
• Argos and recycling – Our schemes to minimise impact on the environment
• Argos in the community – Details on our charities and projects in the community
• Other areas of Home Retail Group

About Argos

Argos is the UK's leading digital retailer, offering more than 33,000 products through www.argos.co.uk, its growing mobile channels, stores, over the telephone and uniquely, through Argos TV.

Argos continues to be the UK's largest high street retailer online with over 430 million website visits annually. Argos serves around 130 million customers a year through its network of 740 stores.

In the financial year to February 2012, Argos sales were £3.9 billion and it employed some 31,000 people across the business.

Argos is part of Home Retail Group, the UK's leading home and general merchandise retailer.

Corporate responsibility (‘Responsible retailing’)

Details of our corporate responsibility policy can be found on www.thebasisofgoodbusiness.com

The site includes information on:

• ‘Keeping clean and green’ - how we deal with environmental issues such as waste management and energy consumption
• ‘Shopping for tomorrow’ – we are extending our product range to help you make more responsible choices, conserve resources and save money
• ‘Sourcing with care’ – we provide details of our timber sourcing policy; chemical strategy and ethical trading conditions in our supply chain
• ‘Being a good neighbour’ – how we support the local and national communities in which we operate

These are just some of the practical ways in which we try to be socially, ethically and environmentally responsible.

Check out our range of eco responsible products in our new 'ecohome' range

Easier shopping for customers with disabilities

We're committed to making our stores and services accessible to everyone. If you need any help shopping with us, please give us a call on 0845 640 3030 or ask in store and we'll do everything we can to make things easier.

You can also contact our 'minicom' service on 0845 640 0755 but you will need a text phone to access this service.

We offer an audio CD version of our services, with a selection of our products. Please call 01435 862 737 for a copy of this CD. (This number cannot deal with any other enquiries)

Information on access to facilities at all our stores is available on www.directenquiries.com (Argos.co.uk is not responsible for the content of external websites)

Argos and the environment

At Argos we believe in taking a responsible approach to our environment and our local communities. We're committed to reducing the impact our business has on the environment as well as helping you to do the same. We're working hard to reduce the amount of resources we use and the amount of CO2 emissions we produce.

Some of our recent achievements

• 91% of waste from the business was recycled
• 35% reduction in waste sent to landfill
• 26% reduction in packaging from own brand and direct-sourced products
• 9% reduction in carbon footprint
• 100% of direct-source and direct-import factories have a current ethical audit

Our future commitments

• Divert more than 90% of all our waste from landfill by recycling and further opportunities
• Continue to reduce our total waste tonnage to achieve a 35% by 2013 financial year end (vs2006)
• Achieve a 2% reduction in energy consumption (kWh/sq ft) year on year, enabling us to achieve a 18% reduction per sq ft by 2013 financial year end (vs 2006)
• Reduce CO2 emissions per sq ft by 40% by 2020( vs 2006)
• Achieve a 30% reduction in commercial fleet CO2 per sq ft by 2013 financial year end (vs 2006)
• Achieve a 10% reduction in water usage in our direct operations by 2015

We believe that working to meet these objectives is the best way to live up to your expectations of us as a retailer, enhance our reputation and manage our resources effectively in the face of rising costs.

For more information on how we operate in a responsible and sustainable way, take a look at our corporate responsibility pages at www.thebasisofgoodbusiness.com

Argos and recycling

Catalogues

With your help, we’re reducing the impact our business has on the environment.

Did you know:

• your Argos catalogue is 100% recyclable
• we source the paper from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources
• our old catalogues are particularly sought after by newspaper print manufacturers

All our catalogues and flyers can be recycled, at any of the following places

• Our stores - your nearest store will be happy to recycle the catalogues for you
• Local authority collections - If your local authority provides you with newspaper collection services then they can take away our old catalogues
• Local recycling points – if these are more convenient, take your catalogue to your nearest collection point - find your nearest recycling centre by visiting www.recyclenow.com

So when you're ready to pick up your new catalogue, please try and recycle your old one.

* Certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). For more info contact: www.pefc.org (this is a separate website and will open a new window)

Waste packaging

Most waste packaging can be recycled. If you require, we will take away your waste packaging when we delivery your new large kitchen appliance. Visit www.recyclenow.com to find lots of tips on what to do with waste packaging. Cardboard boxes are easy to squash flat and recycle!

Carrier bags

At Argos we’re committed to helping the environment so although we are happy to provide a plastic carrier bag if you request one, please play your part by helping us cut our carrier bag usage by 60%. Reuse our carrier bags as often as possible and when you’ve finished with them, look out for a local recycling scheme or dispose of them safely so that they don't cause a litter problem.

Furniture

If you have an item of furniture that you no longer need following your purchase from Argos, there is a charity near you that can put it to good use. Local charities take unwanted furniture and make it available for people on low incomes. A national helpline is run by the Furniture Re-use Network or you can look for groups on the internet. Website: www.frn.org.uk (this is a separate website and will open a new window).

Disposal of electrical waste products

Argos will collect and recycle your old large kitchen appliance or selected TVs when you buy a new one – just ask our contact centre colleagues at the time of ordering. For all other electrical items, Argos has contributed towards a national fund to assist local councils to improve their existing waste electrical equipment collection facilities. You can take all your other waste electrical goods for recycling to your local council site (and avoid damaging the environment and the potential harmful effects on health).

Look out for the crossed out wheelie bin symbol on electrical goods. The symbol means that you should not put this item in your normal household waste bin.

Not all council sites are suitable to collect all types of waste electrical goods, but to find out your nearest participating site, please visit www.recycle-more.co.uk (Argos.co.uk is not responsible for the content of external websites).

Batteries

Waste batteries can be returned to our stores free of charge, using the small waste battery bins in store. Batteries should never be put in general household waste or recycling bins - look out for the crossed out wheelie bin symbol on the packaging or the battery itself.

Argos in the community

Argos is proud to have chosen Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer Scotland and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland as their Charity of the Year 2013-2015.

By working together, colleagues from Argos will help Alzheimer's Society, and its sister charities, to support people with dementia to stay in their own home and be part of community life for as long as possible.

The money raised will fund three essential services; Dementia Support Workers providing specialist advice and support; Dementia Cafés that improve well-being and reduce social isolation; and Singing for the Brain® which is a stimulating social activity that enhances confidence and well-being.

Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer Scotland and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

There are over 840,000 people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland living with dementia today. Through a network of local services, campaigning work and research, Alzheimer's Society and its sister charities offer support to hundreds of thousands of people living with the condition. They provide information and support to help people live their lives to the full, and fund innovative research into the cause, cure and prevention of dementia, and the care people receive.

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing, it is caused by brain diseases; the most common is Alzheimer's. As the brain shuts down, a person gradually loses the ability to do the things many of us take for granted, from enjoying conversations with family or friends, to eating or dressing without help. Dementia doesn't just affect the person with the disease – their families and friends will all find that their lives are changed too.

You can help in the following ways:

• Fundraising: Look out for fundraising activities in your local Argos store
• Support us by shopping: Purchase partnership products sold in your local Argos store
• Online donation: You can make a donation on-line now, please use the donate button below.
• Watch our partnership film at www.alzheimers.org.uk/noplacelikehome
• Like Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer Scotland and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

(this link will open in a new window)

For more information about the partnership, the services being funded and Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer Scotland and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/noplacelikehome.

Argos.co.uk is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Community policy

As a major retailer we receive many requests for support from charities, community groups and not for profit organisations. To respond to these requests we operate a scheme in which six randomly selected organisations will benefit from a gift voucher donation of either £250 or £150 or £100 - every month. (Redeemable in Argos and Homebase stores). Find out more at www.thebasisofgoodbusiness.com

Volunteering

Argos colleagues are able to request two paid days off per year to support their local communities. To support the policy, Argos stores are developing links with local secondary schools, helping students bridge the gap between school and the world of work and gain a better understanding of the retail industry.

Other areas of Home Retail Group

Homebase

As part of the Home Retail Group, our sister company Homebase offers a large range of kitchens, bathrooms and home furniture. Homebase also provides DIY advice and how-to guides across a broad range of home enhancement and DIY categories.