Corporate Responsibility

New York -- Canned peaches, criminal records and political contributions were among the shareholder concerns expressed at Target’s annual meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has transitioned to using reusable product containers (RPCs), rather than corrugated boxes, to ship many types of produce from the farm fields, through the distribution channel and to final store destination. This transition eliminated the use of over 17 million pounds of corrugated boxes.

The St. Jude Children’s hospital is the beneficiary of a bicycle ride slated for this weekend that wouldn’t be happening without the support of Target.

Motocross champion Ryan Dungey and Target are hosting the MN Major River-to-River Ride with Ryan Dungey on Sunday, July 15, featuring rides of different lengths and skill levels. The ride takes place the day after Dungey competes at Spring Creek in Millville, Minn. as part of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea has announced plans to install solar energy panels on two distribution centers in the Eastern United States. Installation will occur this summer on the chain’s center in Perryville, Md., and Westampton, N.J. Both projects will rank among the largest commercial rooftop solar installations in the United States, and their implementation will extend the Ikea solar presence to nearly 89% of its U.S. locations.

New York -- A Monday report by Reuters said that New York City's pension funds have filed a derivative lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. based on reported allegations of bribery in Mexico and a possible cover-up by Wal-Mart officials.
 
The suit, filed in Delaware Chancery Court, alleges that Wal-Mart's officers and board of directors breached their fiduciary duty to both the company and shareholders by failing to properly handle claims of alleged bribery and apparently attempting to cover up details of the issue.

New York -- Toronto has become the first major city in Canada to ban the use of plastic shopping bags.

The ban was passed by the city council in a surprise move that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denounced as “ludicrous,” The Globe and Mail reported.

The vote bans plastic bags, including biodegradable ones, from Toronto vendors starting in 2013. But the mayor predicted the ban will face a legal challenge.

MOORESVILLE, N.C — Through its charitable and educational foundation, Lowe's has awarded more than $2.3 million in Spring 2012 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grants to 543 schools in 47 states throughout the nation. The grants were given to schools and parent organizations for parent-initiated school-improvement projects benefiting K-12 public education.

The projects funded during the spring grant period include technology and safety improvements, library renovations, walking trails, greenhouses, outdoor learning environments and more.

Greenpeace has released its latest "Carting Away the Ocean" report, and Walmart should be pleased with where it ranked on the list. With a score of 5, Walmart placed 12th (out of 20), just hight enough to earn an, or "passing," rating. While that may not seem so great, it is important to keep in mind that only two retailers, Safeway and Whole Foods received green, or "good" ratings for their scores of 7 and 7.1, respectively -- the first time any retailer has recieved such distinction.