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2012 Press Releases
 
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You are here: Skip Navigation LinksRILA » News and Resources » Press Releases » 2012 Press Releases

RILA Retail Members Score High in 2012 Newsweek Green Rankings

Arlington , VA - 11/1/2012

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Retailers devoted to optimizing operational sustainability were recognized by Newsweek magazine for their green leadership within the industry. Forty-two retailers, including department stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, discounters and specialty stores were listed on this year’s Newsweek Green Rankings 2012 list. Of those listed, 23 are members of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) including Staples, Best Buy, The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney, Sears Holdings, and Whole Foods listed in the retail top ten list.  

“Having so many RILA member companies represented in Newsweek’s Green List reflects the industry’s dedication to identify and implement sustainable practices. Retailers that have launched green initiatives recognize the substantial business and societal benefits of doing so. Companies that are successful in these efforts will be stronger in the short- and long-term for it,” said Adam Siegel, vice president of sustainability and retail operations for RILA.

Newsweek sited 88 percent of the total environmental footprint of retail companies as identified in water use, greenhouse-gas emissions, and general waste generation and disposal combined. The Green Rankings recognize those company’s efforts addressing their environmental impacts by setting long-term targets and implementing companywide operational sustainability programs.

Newsweek awarded Staples a management environmental score of 83.9, recognizing the company’s efforts to engage suppliers to reduce packaging. Their program, Race to the Top promotes healthy competition by calling on suppliers to develop innovate packaging techniques that use fewer or alternative materials.

Best Buy ranked third in the industry, touting its aggressive recycling goal of one billion pounds of electronic items by the end of 2014. Best Buy offers consumers a wide-range of recycling options before and after a product purchase. The Buy Back program gives consumers the opportunity to purchase in to the program by exchanging their unwanted products for a Best Buy gift card, a trade-in program allows consumers to obtain a Best Buy gift card for select used electronics, and free recycling options help consumers safely dispose of electronics.

Wal-Mart received a disclosure score of 75.8 for their reporting and involvement in key transparency projects. Their goal of removing 20 million metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions from their supply chain by 2015 involves suppliers and outside organizations to identify the areas with the most potential to improve. In return, Wal-Mart has launched efforts to develop projects and systems that are transferable across suppliers and countries.

Home Depot and Target were also recognized by Newsweek for their efforts within the community. Home Depot identifies opportunities to build stores using local and recycled materials and planting zones that seek to eliminate or reduce the irrigation needed to maintain store landscaping. Target aims to be highly rooted in the localities by community giving for schools and libraries. In addition, Target encourages their team members to volunteer with education-related activities.

Sears Holdings Corporation received the 2012 Energy Star Corporate Commitment Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their programs in energy management, energy-efficient product retailing, and consumer outreach.

“Sustainability has become a core consideration for the retail industry, affecting strategy, operations, workforce engagement, and connection to consumers and communities,” said Siegel. “As retailers continue to innovate ways in reaching their ever-evolving sustainability goals, addressing the challenges requires not only collaboration, but a shared vision as an industry.”

RILA has made a commitment to driving leadership in retail sustainability. Through the Retail Sustainability Initiative (RSI), RILA has hosted five successful annual sustainability conferences, attracting over 450 sustainability and compliance professionals from the retail industry to discuss best practices, develop collaborations, and identify future trends. The next Retail Sustainability Conference will be held in September, 2013. 

RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad. 

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Chrissa Benson
Manager, Communications & State Affairs
Phone: 703-600-2032
Email: chrissa.benson@rila.org

 

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