HONOREE SIZE & INDUSTRY: Enterprise – Retail

COMPANY OVERVIEW 

Target Corporation serves guests at nearly 1,900 stores and at Target.com. 151 stores are located in Texas, constituting 8% of all Target locations. Since 1946, Minneapolis-based Target has given 5% of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. There are more than 350,000 Target team members across the globe, all working together for one important reason, “to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.” With 75% of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a Target store, the company is putting the needs of people, communities, and the planet at the heart of how they work today, to help build a better tomorrow. From circular recycling initiatives to renewable energy, Target is setting a great example for the retail industry.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY 

At Target, passion is focused on delivering better products, services, and experiences for guests – and for the planet. Target believes operating a sustainable business and using resources responsibly will allow them to serve their guests for many generations to come. This means not only reducing their footprint, but also going beyond to restore and improve the places where they operate. Target’s efforts extend across their 1,900 stores and global supply chain and operations – from the energy and water they use in their stores and manufacturing – to the products they source and stock on store shelves. Target works closely with leading experts, organizations, policy makers, community partners,  and retail peers, using their size and scope to create solutions that accelerate the entire industry’s progress. By sharing their resources and a transparent view of their work with partners around the world, Target can support social and environmental progress.

EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP

Amanda Nusz, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Target, has played a key role in leading the company’s conservation and sustainability efforts. She oversees initiatives that aim to reduce Target’s footprint on the planet, while also improving their guest experience. This includes Target’s founding membership in the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, which addresses the environmental issue of single-use plastic retail bags and searches to find new solutions that are better for the planet and for people. 

Amanda and her team also champion a collaborative approach internally – working with leaders and subject matter experts from across Target’s business to rally behind a common vision and strategy that helps the company achieve impact at scale. Target’s sustainability initiatives typically involve multiple and diverse departments – from supply chain to operations to marketing. Ensuring successful outcomes – and staying true to measurable impact – are the charge of Amanda and her team.

Across all 50 states and globally, Target volunteers continue their longstanding tradition of contributing to efforts to foster resilient communities. For the sixth consecutive year, Target volunteers contributed more than one million hours of service at more than 14,500 organizations in the communities where they live and work in support of causes they are passionate about. Regional Days of Service is a week of service in May that mobilizes Target store team members to demonstrate their company commitment to the community through volunteer projects. On average, during this week, Target team members contribute nearly 250,000 hours of service. One of 2018’s project highlights included partnering with Arbor Day Foundation on it’s Time for Trees initiative. Target had nearly 1,000 team members helping to plant trees across eight states, ranging from California to Pennsylvania. By planting trees in their communities, these projects help to capture carbon in the atmosphere, reduce stormwater runoff into local watersheds and improve overall air quality. 

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Climate 

In 2019, Target announced ambitious new climate goals that built upon and increased the impact of their previous goals, while laying out a new reduction target for the company’s entire supply chain. Target will reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3* greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2017 levels by 2030. Target also commits that 80% of its suppliers will set science-based reduction targets on their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2023 (from Category 1, Retail Purchased Goods and Services).

Renewable Energy 

One of the ways Target achieves these goals is by sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable energy by 2030, with much of it already coming from Texas through wind and solar. Target’s investment in a wind farm outside Lubbock in 2016 continues to provide the company with enough clean energy to power 60 Texas stores. Last year Target announced a purchase agreement that is enabling the construction of a solar farm in the state as well. A bird’s eye view would also show the results of their rooftop solar project at their Texas stores, which generate enough energy to offset between 15 – 40% of a property’s energy needs. In addition, in 2019, Target achieved their goal of installing rooftop solar atop 500 of their locations. 

Back in 2015, Target kicked off a test at about 100 of their stores replacing old fluorescent light fixtures with LEDs. Today, more than two million smart LED ceiling fixtures are in place across nearly all 1,900-plus Target stores nationwide. These LEDs will be added to new stores they open. The new lighting is already reducing the electricity required to power Target’s stores by 10% annually compared to the prior fixtures. That is an average of 470 million kilowatts (kWh) of energy each year, enough to power nearly 40,000 homes or to reduce Target’s GHG emissions by an amount equal to removing 70,000 cars from the road annually.

Target was named a 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence, the fifth consecutive year they have been recognized for their continued energy-efficiency efforts.

Electric Vehicles

Another way Target is helping communities fight climate change is through their Electric Vehicle (EV) program. Target began installing EV-charging stations in 2012 with the goal to provide 600 EV parking spaces at over 100 sites across more than 20 states by 2020. At the end of 2019, Target had 527 spaces at 74 sites in 16 states. One of those sites being Richmond, TX.

Water Stewardship

In 2018 Target created their freshwater stewardship approach and initial goals in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. They’re designed to help Target deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and help the company address three important issues in communities where they operate: improving water quality, optimizing water efficiency, and increasing access to clean water. Target’s water goals connect directly into their broader sustainability framework. For example, Target joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Roadmap to Zero Programme, and will use its wastewater guidelines for their 2025 manufacturing goal for water. The company began implementing its ZDHC commitments with strategic apparel suppliers in October 2019 and is looking to scale up to broader apparel during 2020.

In 2018, Target made a $3 million investment in Water.org. The two organizations work together to empower people in communities where Target’s goods are produced, enhancing people’s lives by removing barriers to access affordable financing for water and sanitation. And within its supply chain operations, Target is a part of the Apparel Impact Institute’s Clean by Design program, which focuses on enhancing process efficiency to improve the environment. In 2018-19, a total of 30 fabric mills in China and Taiwan participated, achieving an average of 20% in water savings each year, which is equivalent to over 3.5 million cubic meters of water. In 2019, work also expanded to India. At the end of 2019, 68 textile wet-processing factories and 37 Tier 1 assembly facilities in priority watersheds the company works with were covered by these two programs.

Target is proud to be the first retailer to join Ceres and the World Wildlife Fund’s AgWater Challenge. In addition, by 2022 Target aims to source 100% sustainable cotton for their owned brand and exclusive national brand products and improve water efficiency in textile dyeing and finishing factories located in priority watersheds by 15%. By 2025 Target aims to design 100% of garment washed owned-brand apparel utilizing water saving design principles. All owned-brand apparel textile facilities comply with ZDHC Progressive level wastewater standard and 15% absolute water reduction for stores, distribution centers, and headquarters locations, based on a 2010 baseline.

Target is continuing to focus their water conservation efforts on irrigation efficiency, interior use efficiency for their restrooms and food services areas, and partnering on initiatives with local municipalities – it has reduced their overall withdrawal by 14.5% from its 2010 baseline.

Waste Diversion 

In 2019, Target diverted 77.5% of their operational waste from landfill, against their goal of 75% waste diversion. The following efforts contributed to Target’s overall waste diversion:

• In 2019 Target reused approximately 151 million plastic hangers in stores. To reduce waste, they have had a sustainable, closed-loop hanger reuse program in operation since 1994. 
• Target donated 104.9 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 87 million meals, in 2019.
• They stopped selling Styrofoam coolers beginning with their Summer 2019 assortment. Instead, they are offering their guests another convenient option that is biodegradable: Igloo’s new foam-free RECOOL cooler, which is made from tree pulp and is sturdy, reusable, and functional. 
• In 2019, Target brought Okabashi flip-flops and sandals into its stores and online—an opportunity for the company to offer a better option to their guests without compromising cost. Made in the U.S. and designed with circularity in mind, the sandals are made of bio-based material that is 100% recyclable, have a two-year guarantee, and can be returned to the company to be remade into new footwear. 

Sustainable Messaging and Products

The Target Clean icon is designed to simplify shopping for guests. Introduced to online shoppers in March 2019 and now featured in stores across Target’s household essentials, beauty, personal care, baby essentials, and pet food categories, Target Clean identifies products formulated without a group of commonly unwanted chemicals such as phthalates, sodium laureth sulfate, propyl-paraben and butyl-paraben, and others relevant to key frequency categories. Target Clean continues to be rolled out across stores and is another step toward achieving their chemical goals of driving transparency, creating proactive and progressive chemical management and innovation. It joins Target’s wellness icons, which help guests more easily find the products that support their health and well- being. 

For example, Target recently launched Everspring, a new household essentials owned brand, which combines efficacy, transparency, and great design. Developed by Target’s internal design team, Everspring features more than 70 products that include bio-based or recycled materials or natural fibers. The paper products in the assortment are made of 100% recycled content, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer recycled material. The majority of Everspring packaging bottles contain 50% or more post-consumer recycled content.

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Driven by generational shifts and Target’s vibrantly diverse communities, consumers increasingly want their purchases to reflect their values and worldviews. While price and quality remain priorities, shoppers also want products with purpose that support social causes and don’t harm the planet. Target’s commitment is visible on its store shelves with owned brands like Everspring.

Target wants to be the mass retailer that offers their guests the greatest number of options for sustainable products, services, and experiences. This includes circularity, in which products are designed to reduce waste and keep materials in use.

In addition to minimizing plastic waste in product packaging, one key area of opportunity in circular design is the fashion industry, in which millions of tons of clothing are discarded each year. Through strategic partnerships with the Global Fashion Agenda, Target is working to change the way fashion is designed across the industry. They are investing in textile recycling technologies and have committed to increase the functional durability of their owned-brand apparel.

TEXAN-LED CONSERVATION

Target has 151 stores in communities throughout the Lone Star state – from El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Amarillo. Thousands of Target team members call Texas home, as do countless guests, and Target is proud to support them by offering outstanding value and products that enable healthy and sustainable lifestyles. 

Learn more about Target’s sustainability efforts.

Definitions: 

– kWh or kilowatt-hours is the measure of electrical energy equivalent to the power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour.

– Greenhouse gases or GHG, is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect on planets. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.