Have you ever finished a package and wondered if it was OK to discard in the recycling bin? Through a new partnership, Target will soon be helping guests take some of the guesswork out of the recycling process.
“We just became a member of the How2Recycle Label program,” says Kim Carswell, packaging engineer and a group manager on the Target Packaging team in Minneapolis. “I’m excited to work with partners and teams across Target to introduce the labels on our owned brand packaging and Target.com shipping materials.”
The program was designed by our nonprofit partner, GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition, to give consumers clear, on-package recycling instructions. Target joins 20 other participating companies, including General Mills, Seventh Generation, Kellogg’s and ConAgra Foods.
“We know our guests care about recycling,” says Cynthia Dilliard, senior group manager, Packaging. “Having these labels on more of our packaging will help them understand not only which products can be recycled, but how and where they can do it.”
The first item to carry the program’s Store Dropoff label will be our Target.com plastic shipping envelopes.
“The great thing about that is, guests will learn they can recycle the envelopes at the recycling stations in the front of our stores—the same place they already go to recycle their plastic shopping bags,” says Kim. Guests will begin to see the newly labeled envelopes in December.
Kim and her team are working to add How2Recycle labels to more of our packaging in the coming months and years, beginning with our popular up & up brand.
“Our up & up products include a range of everyday essentials throughout household, healthcare, beauty, baby, personal care, and school and office supplies,” says Sean Sweeney, senior packaging specialist. “They’re the kinds of products guests buy more frequently throughout the year, so it’s especially helpful to have the labels on them.”
The effort is bringing together an energized cross-functional team who are eager to play roles in making it happen. Introducing the labels on more of our products will help us make progress toward our goal of improving our owned-brand packaging sustainability.
“We’re excited to see the first of the newly labeled packages debut, and of course we’ll continue to look for opportunities to work the labels onto more of our packaging in the future,” says Kim. “It’s just one of many ways Target works to find ways to help our guests live more sustainable lifestyles.”
Visit the Environment pages to learn more about how Target integrates sustainability throughout our business. Interested in being part of a Target team that uses sustainable practices every day? Explore career opportunities.
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