Target's announcement last week of its first comprehensive, companywide sustainability commitments was treated by the mainstream media like a display of last year's hot toys. It was largely ignored.
Granted, half of Target's announcement focused on well-worn initiatives to increase efficiencies in the company's supply chains. This work will help Target simply catch up on sustainability issues, and hardly merits front-page news.
But the second half of the announcement is much more interesting, and points to commitments that could drive real innovation around the environmental impacts of Target's products. Based on an optimistic reading of the company's announcement, Target may now be positioned to do for sustainable products what it did for well designed, yet affordable, consumer products.
Put simply, the innovations that earned Target the nickname "Tarjay" could now be leveraged in the interests of sustainability.
So what did Target commit to?
- To eliminate waste in supply chains and minimize their carbon footprint.
- To implement smarter design and better locations for stores to improve their sustainability.
- To expand Target's selection of sustainable products that "effectively balance price, performance, and convenience."
- To provide "the right information, tools, and incentives" for "guests and team members to easily lead a more sustainable lifestyle."
Commitment No. 1 on eliminating waste and carbon has the most specificity. By 2016, Target says it will:
- Reduce the percentage of operating waste sent to landfills by 15 percent;
- Reduce water usage by 10 percent per square foot;
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent per square foot and 20 percent per dollar of retail sales;
- Earn the Energy Star label from the Environmental Protection Agency for at least 75 percent of buildings;
- Improve the efficiency of transportation inbound to distribution centers by 15 percent and outbound by 20 percent and support the adoption of cleaner and more fuel-efficient transportation practices.
Next Page: What Target can do to drive innovation in sustainability.
I couldn't agree more about
I couldn't agree more about Target's need to introduce products with a sustainability theme. As a company that aim to attract a more "sophisticated" consumer, if you will, Target needs to appeal to a more modern market. And making these products easy to access is certainly important too, many average consumers have the desire to do something environmentally conscious, but do not go out of their way to do so.
As a sustainable product
As a sustainable product designer and ex-Target employee, I commend Target for finally jumping on the sustainable bandwagon even if they are a bit late.
The new FTC Green Guides are now out, but there are still product suppliers/vendors who blatantly participate in greenwashing because either they don't understand how to produce a sustainable product or hope to green their image through packaging or marketing.
Target will have to be careful to offer products to their consumers that truly are sustainable if they want to be credible in the green market.
It’s a good “competition” to
It’s a good “competition” to have between these two giants. The concept of reducing quality and price doesn’t apply here. It’s really a win-win for all involved.
As Dara well knows, COULD is
As Dara well knows, COULD is a nice idea. Let's start keeping score. Press releases are fun, but lets see how they do. Within these programs, I'd love to see what criteria decides what products are sustainable and where we can see how their product mix improves.