Walmart pursues packaging, recycling initiatives

Walmart Inc. is continuing efforts to promote sustainable packaging and product recycling.

In 2017, Walmart introduced Project Gigaton, an initiative to avoid one gigaton (one billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide from its global value chain by 2030. Since that time, the discount giant has launched numerous efforts to promote sustainability across its enterprise and among its partners and customers, including a new co-promotion to encourage using cold water for laundry with detergent brand Tide.

In addition, Walmart is unveiling new initiatives in product packaging and recycling in time for Earth Day (Monday, April 22):

Packaging

Walmart says it is the largest seller of countertop microwaves in the U.S. and now, its latest private brand microwaves in the U.S. come packaged without the usual expanded polystyrene packaging (often called Styrofoam). According to Walmart, this step helps deliver a better customer experience and eliminates an estimated 2,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year in the process.

In addition, Walmart is now selling snorkel sets in the U.S. in reusable travel/storage bags instead of plastic packaging and is also working to eliminate all plastic packaging from its private label bedding by 2025.

In its packaging for e-commerce shipments, where Walmart has been using AI to help reduce waste, the company is also now transitioning from plastic to paper mailers for most deliveries.

Recycling

Walmart is piloting an initiative with Trashie, a clothing recycling platform that provides the "Take Back Bag" as a way to recycle clothing, shoes, accessories and textiles. Customers can fill up the bag with unwanted items and send it to Trashie for potential reuse or recycling, mirroring the process of an online return.