Walmart announces new sustainability targets

Walmart has announced further commitments towards becoming a regenerative company after establishing its goal last year.

Its aim in becoming a ‘regenerative company’ means that the company intends to place nature and humanity at the centre of their business.

Introducing more promises, Walmart’s statement lists the growing effects of climate change as a need for urgency. Several new goals have been added, mainly in terms of plastic and apparel. “By 2025, we aim to achieve a 15 percent absolute reduction of our virgin plastic footprint,” its statement reads. “We’ll aim to do this by reducing the amount of plastic used altogether, as well as replacing with recycled content and reusing materials.”

Walmart also plans on working with the Ellen McArthur Foundation in order to shift towards a circular economy.

Further goals include sourcing 100 percent sustainable cotton and 50 percent recycled polyester for its Private Brand apparel and soft home textiles.

It also has committed to ensuring that no man made cellulosic fibres are utilized in Walmart apparel, and that no endangered forests or species are used in the soft home textiles. It will rely on the nonprofit organisation, Canopy, to define what is termed as endangered.

“Most people don’t know that every year, more than 200 million trees are cut down to make fashion fabrics like viscose and rayon. Many of these trees come from the world’s most vital forest ecosystems - forests essential for sequestering carbon, preserving biodiversity, and protecting us against possible pandemics,” reads a statement from Canopy. By joining the CanopyStyle initiative, it says Walmart is “requiring their suppliers to end sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests.”

“Walmart is thrilled to be adding CanopyStyle to our Private Brand textiles sustainability work,” executive vice president Denise Incandela said. “We know our work with Canopy is a step in the right direction.”

The partnership is a part of Walmart’s ongoing efforts across the textile value chain towards improving sustainability.

“We must use our scale to spark collective action across our supply chain and industry,” says the statement written by Jane Ewing, the senior vice president of sustainability. “Leadership takes courage - and we’re committed to leading.”