Many Walmart shoppers will soon see new packaging as retailer tries to cut waste

Many Walmart shoppers will soon see new packaging as retailer tries to cut waste


Walmart is swapping out plastic mailers for paper mailers that customers can recycle.

Walmart

BENTONVILLE, Ark. —‎‏ Shoppers who click the “buy” button on Walmart‘s website and pick up items curbside will soon spot a difference: new packaging.

The nation’s largest retailer will roll out changes to eliminate waste across its business, it said Thursday. Walmart will swap plastic mailers for paper ones that can be recycled curbside.

It will add made-to-fit technology in about half of its fulfillment centers, so each shipped box uses less material and more boxes can fit on each truckload. And by the end of the year, customers at all of its stores will be able to choose to skip plastic bags when retrieving curbside pickup orders.

“It’s about making sustainability the everyday choice for our customers,” said Jane Ewing, Walmart’s senior vice president of sustainability. “And it’s about making sure the path of least resistance is the most sustainable one.”

She said the company aims to offer products that are better for the planet, but without the higher price tag.

Walmart wants to reduce packaging as online sales become a bigger part of its business. Digital transactions now make up about 13% of total annual sales for Walmart in the U.S. The moves can also appeal to customers who care about the environment, or have grown tired of discarded boxes and plastic bags piling up at their homes.

For a retailer with a reach as staggering as Walmart’s, a change can quickly add up. The company’s switch to paper mailers is expected to eliminate more than 2,000 tons of plastic from circulation in the U.S. by the end of January.

Other retailers are trying to cut down on packaging and cater to customers who care about sustainability, too. Amazon has also used more made-to-fit packaging after investing two years ago in CMC, a company that makes the e-commerce giant’s packaging machine.

It is also working with vendors to ship more packages in their own containers rather than putting them in an additional box. More than 10% of its parcels last year were shipped without Amazon packaging, and the company said it plans to increase that share.

Amazon allows customers to save a dollar or two by consolidating purchases into a single package. Walmart began offering shoppers a similar option in March, but without a financial incentive.

Meanwhile, Target has replaced bubble wrap with recyclable paper cushioning. Last year, it launched products for its household essentials brand Everspring that cut back on waste with reusable glass cleaning spray bottles. At three stores, it’s piloting returnable bags to reduce single-use bags.

Along with appealing to shoppers, the sustainability push can come with cost benefits. With made-to-fit packaging, for example, each box requires less material and plastic air pillows that cushion an item — making truckloads more efficient. The box changes also reduce labor for workers who previously made and taped the containers by hand.

Correction: Last year, Target launched products for its household essentials brand Everspring that cut back on waste with reusable glass cleaning spray bottles. An earlier version misstated the move.



Source

Boeing reports results before the bell. Here’s what to expect
Business

Boeing reports results before the bell. Here’s what to expect

The nose cone of a Boeing 787 being displayed on the tarmac during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, outside Paris, June 25, 2023. Nicolas Economou | Nurphoto | Getty Images Boeing is expected to report a smaller second-quarter loss when it reports its earnings Tuesday morning. Investors will also hear from CEO […]

Read More
Paris Hilton’s  million mansion deal helps power LA real estate market
Business

Paris Hilton’s $63 million mansion deal helps power LA real estate market

Agent Nicole Plaxen of The Beverly Hills Estates said she’s holding “constant showings” of this $118 million mansion in Bel Air. Credit: The Beverly Hills Estates A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions, straight […]

Read More
Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots, downgrade more than 100 others as it prepares to cut flights
Business

Spirit Airlines to furlough 270 pilots, downgrade more than 100 others as it prepares to cut flights

A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 taxis at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving from Boston on September 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images Spirit Airlines said Monday that it will furlough 270 pilots this fall as the carrier prepares for a smaller off-season schedule to try […]

Read More