Macy's making sustainable strides

CINCINNATI --Macy's Inc. announced that it is taking new steps to become a more sustainable company.

"Our company has embraced the principles of sustainability, and wecontinue to take actions that are tangible, measurable and meaningful inreducing our use of scarce resources and improving the efficiency of ourbusiness in serving customer needs," said Tom Cole, Macy's chiefadministrative officer. "We have made significant progress over the pastseveral years, and we continue to move forward with new ideas in 2011and beyond."

Macy's said that, beginning this fall, it will use environmentally-friendly matteblack hangers for most apparel merchandise sold in its stores,replacing clear hangers that have been the industry standard forseveral decades. According to the company, which uses nearly 300 million hangers, the new hangerscan be manufacturedusing recycled plastic materials, saving on the new petroleum-basedresins used to make clear hangers. Macy's will be asking its apparelvendors to begin shipping merchandise to Macy's on black hangers infall 2011, with the transition expected to be complete in spring 2012.

In addition, Macy's, in partnershipwith ECOtality, said it is expected to become the firstmajor department store to pilot the use of self-serve electric vehicle(EV) charging stations, through The EV Project. The company plans toinstall two electric vehicle charging stations this fall outside eachof six Macy's stores in the San Diego metropolitan area (locations arebeing identified). The charging stations will provide an addedconvenience to EV drivers and help promote the reduction of fuelconsumption and the transition to clean, renewable energy.

The company also announced that it has become a Recyclebank Rewards Partner, allowing customersacross America to earn special discounts at Macy's when they increasehousehold recycling, reduce household energy usage and practice greenlifestyles.