Okemos - A demonstration by four Eco members might be able to sway a corporate office supply chain to change one of its policies.

General science senior Amy Gregory led members of the student group Eco to OfficeMax, 2020 W. Grand River Ave., to protest the absence of post-consumer recycled paper sold by the store. The initiative was part of a national day of action against the office supply giant.

Despite a low turnout at the Okemos branch, Gregory said there are protests against OfficeMax occurring nationwide.

"National days of action make a huge impact because so many people around the country are participating," she said. "Corporations are really receptive to our requests."

Eco's campaign against corporate office supply chains started in 2001 with Staples, who Gregory said is complying with their request to bring in more recycled paper products to its shelves.

"It's the domino effect," she said. "If one major corporation decides to comply with our request, the others need to do so to compete with the demands of the customer base."

Eco drafted an official letter to the Okemos branch store to phase out paper products originating from endangered forests in the United States and the world. The group is also requesting OfficeMax to increase its post-consumer recycled paper sold from 30 percent to 50 percent.

But the message has already hit OfficeMax's headquarters. OfficeMax spokesman Steve Baisden said the company has already opened up dialogue with environmental action groups to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

"The environmental groups have very valid points," Baisden said. "We want to address their concerns. We will continue to try and improve our paper procurement policies."

Customers visiting OfficeMax were greeted by Eco members with recycled cardboard signs. Most of the response to the protest was positive.

OfficeMax customer Mitchell Wagner said he is supportive of the students' efforts.

"You can't disagree with someone who is environmentally conscious," the Spanish sophomore said.

Wagner said the protest was one of the more passive he has seen in past months, only because the environmental issue is not as controversial as the war with Iraq.

"I think the environment issue is really important," he said.

"I don't think society as a whole has a good idea of how deep of a hole we've dug for ourselves."