Target adopts five new sustainable packaging goals for green future

Now, the retailer is broadening the scale with the launch of five new sustainable packaging goals that reflect challenges the industry is facing today, and areas where Target can drive the most change.

Jennifer said, “As a leader in design, we can use our expertise to create more sustainable packaging options for our guests and help deliver products that are both better-for-you and better for the environment. With the power of Target’s team and our scale as one of the country’s largest retailers, we hope to be a catalyst for change across the industry - aiming for the day when all packaging will be recyclable, and leading the way to a packaging-waste-free world.” 

These goals are eliminating expanded polystyrene; sourcing from sustainably managed forests; adding the How2Recycle label; supporting The Recycling Partnership; and creating more demand for recycled packaging.

Polystyrene, or foam packaging, is a challenge in many ways. It’s a pain to recycle, both for customers and distribution centres. It is also a major cause of ocean plastic contamination - by 2030, it predicted that the oceans would have more plastic than fish! And when not produced using safe methods, it can be harmful to manufacturing workers’ health. So as part of its chemical policy, Target will work closely with its suppliers and other partners to find better options for its packaging, taking into account the performance, cost and availability of materials.

The goal to source from sustainably managed forests is an important part of the forest products policy unveiled by Target earlier this month. With the help of the company’s vendors and other partners, Target will work to understand the origin of the raw materials that go into its paper-based packaging and improve the sustainability of forests where the timber used to produce them was grown. 

GreenBlue’s How2Recycle label is an industry standard that lets consumers know exactly how to recycle a particular piece of packaging. As a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Target’s already got it on its more than 1,700 product packages - more than any other retailer. “We’ll keep up the momentum by continuing to look for ways to place the label on more of our owned brand packaging whenever space allows,” said the retailer.

As the first retailer to join The Recycling Partnership, Target will make it easier for consumers to recycle by increasing access to the resources they need. Studies show just 53 percent of the US population have recycling as a standard service, and even fewer have cart-based programs. The company’s investment will bring curb-side recycling to more underserved communities - increasing recycling and making more recycled raw materials available for packaging.

The recycling industry is struggling to help consumers understand how and why recycling is so important. So Target will champion the cause by advancing the idea that all packaging will be recyclable one day, making the process easier for all. The company has joined two industry efforts to help - The Material Recovery Facility of the Future (a project working toward a vision that all packaging can be recycled) and Beyond 34 (a project focused on demonstrating and sharing the best practices to raise the US recycling rate beyond the current rate of 34 percent).