Target Acts on Foam Packaging, Who’s Next?
By Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President
As we approach Earth Day 2017, we are pleased to report a significant step forward in our new effort to press retailers to stop using harmful polystyrene (PS) foam just a couple of months after launch. We withdrew our shareholder proposal at Target asking the company to phase out use of PS foam packaging in its e-commerce operations after it agreed to work with its value chain and industry peers to discuss replacing foam with less harmful alternatives.
Yesterday the company, the second largest U.S. discount retailer with revenue of $70 billion, issued a CSR update in which it noted that PS is “a pain to recycle, both for our guests and our distribution centers. It’s also a major cause of ocean plastic contamination — by 2030, predictions say the oceans could have more plastic than fish! And when not produced using safe methods, it can be harmful to manufacturing workers’ health.” We couldn’t agree more.
For the first time, the company publicly linked its commitment on PS foam to its recently announced chemicals transparency and innovation policy by setting a goal of removing foam from its branded product primary packaging by 2022. We hope they can move faster but glad they are on the case. This is part of a larger commitment made to us. This piece relates to PS foam used inside primary packaging of their branded products, such as cushioning for a lamp displayed in a package on the store shelf.
Polystyrene foam used for beverage cups, takeout containers, and packing materials is rarely recycled. Most used foam ends up in landfills where it can remain for hundreds of years. Due to its light weight, it becomes readily airborne and is often swept into waterways. Foam packaging materials in water break down into small indigestible pellets, which marine animals mistake for food. Ingestion of polystyrene can result in illness, death, and the destruction of marine ecosystems. More than 100 U.S. cities or counties, and nine countries, have banned or restricted foam packaging in various forms.
As You Sow is also in dialogue with two other giant retailers, Amazon and Walmart, on the same issue. Amazon says it has removed foam as a packing option for its frustration-free packaging, a limited number of items specially packaged in minimized, recyclable packaging. It’s not clear how many items this applies to, but it’s likely a small amount relative to total products shipped. Walmart has yet to share basic information or concerns about use of foam packaging. As all three of these companies do additional research on the scope of foam use within their supply chain, we look forward to constructive engagement aimed at setting a timeline for phase out of foam as a packing material.
Target’s action follows the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report, “The New Plastics Economy — Catalyzing Action,” released in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and endorsed by 40 global leaders, which recommended replacing polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride as packaging materials globally.
As we noted in a previous blog post, the report singled out these three materials as “uncommon” plastic packaging materials whose replacement would make a “huge impact.” Replacing PVC, EPS, and PS would enhance the economics of recycling and reduce the potential negative impact of these materials as “substances of concern.”
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