Taking cue from other retailers and making its way towards sustainability, Walmart recently announced that in May, for the first-time ever, it will be using new reusable bags made up of post-consumer recycled content, which will be available for sale at the checkout carousels at its US stores.
Through this initiative, the retail giant is aiming to reduce plastic waste and increase customer convenience by placing reusable bags in easy-to-find and highly frequented sections of its stores. The retailer will increase the use of recycled polyester fiber, and is setting a goal of using 50 per cent recycled content by 2025. It is also planning to source 100 per cent more sustainable cotton.
The retailer also made other announcements and updates on several other sustainability initiatives at its 2019 sustainability milestone summit. It is also working on its responsible sourcing work with NGOs, industry groups, governments and suppliers, with the aspiration to improve the lives of workers in the global apparel supply chain with a particular focus on women. Walmart also shared new sustainability goals for apparel and soft home textiles within Walmart US stores.
By 2022, Walmart US stores will source apparel and home textile products only from suppliers working with textile mills that use the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Index Facility Environmental Module (FEM) to measure and help improve environmental performance.
Walmart is also planning to prioritise sustainable chemistry, setting a goal to reduce the discharge of priority chemicals from the textile manufacturing process.
