Home Depot improves sustainability of private label packaging
The Home Depot Inc. has eliminated two substances which do not easily biodegrade from packaging for its private label products.
The home improvement giant, which redesigned more than 1,280 private-label packages to reduce size and materials from 2017 through 2023, has now removed expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film in new packaging for its private-brand products sold in the U.S., Canada and online.
EPS) foam is a lightweight, rigid packaging material, while PVC is a thinner, more flexible protective filler. They are both made from synthetic substances and can take more than a century to biodegrade.
During 2023, The Home Depot says it eliminated approximately six million cubic feet of EPS, equal to approximately 67 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and more than 39 million sq. ft. of PVC film — enough to cover more than 513 soccer fields — from its private-brand packaging.
The retailer said this move has also improved its customer experience with less packaging waste and reduced shipping costs with right-sized packages. Home Depot intends to continue to partner with its suppliers to keep these materials out of future packaging and is working toward a new packaging goal for all new private-brand fiber packaging to be compostable, recyclable or from recycled content across all U.S. and Canada stores by fiscal 2027.
The company defines fiber packaging as paper, paper board, blister cards, corrugate, molded pulp, and paper materials.
"We believe that by embedding sustainability into our business strategy, we can create long-term success for our associates, customers, communities, and shareholders," said Candace Rodriguez, senior director of sustainability at The Home Depot. "Our efforts to promote operational efficiencies, minimize waste, and drive product innovation will help us move our industry forward."
[READ MORE: Home Depot slashes energy usage]
Based in Atlanta, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer. At the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2024, the company operated a total of 2,340 retail stores and over 760 branches across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.
