Sustainability And Waste Management Strategies At Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American retail company that started in 1976 and now is one of the largest retailer companies. (coscto, n. d. ) Waste produced from retailer companies including food waste is a major contributor to waste production. In Canada, $31 billion worth of food ends up in landfills or composters each year and yet 850,000 Canadians use food banks every month. (Melissa Mancini, 2016) As one of the largest wholesale retailers in Canada, Costco implements a Sustainability and Waste Management Strategy focusing in waste reduction by recycle/reuse programs and diverting a large amount of waste from landfill.
One way of reducing waste is by implementing sustainable packaging design materials. Costco works to provide packaging that protect the product, comply with laws and regulations and reduce materials used so the package can be recycled or composted. This is an area that needs continuous work and improvement. Most of product sold at Costco, come in bulk which is a proper strategy to reduce the amount of material used for food packaging and providing better ways to reuse if possible, and be recycled. Although products sold in bulk are not always the best economic and environmental choice. For relatively large families purchasing in bulk save them money and less waste is generated. Small size families, bulk product purchase is not always the right choice (you spent more than need and waste more, considering the life shelf of the product).
At Costco, cardboard packaging is reused by costumers to carry their purchase at their homes or bailed and recycled by Costco. Costco focuses on package reduction by changing the shape of packages used for their production. Changing the container shape from round to square, brings up to 50% more-unit sales per pallet and 600 fewer outbound depot trucks per year. (Costco Wholesale Sustainability Report, 2015). Costco tries to eliminate the use PVC by replacing it with recyclable materials and require their suppliers no use of PVC. They have taken steps to eliminate the use of polystyrene from inner packing materials, requesting this material be replaced with recyclable or compostable options. (Costco Sustainability). Packaging used for many items and produce, and other fresh food departments are made from recycled water bottles.
A great example of this is Kirkland Signature™ Cage-Free Eggs in a 24 pack, and our water bottles – both made from rPET (recycled PET). They also work to reduce the plastic on clamshell packaging and switch to the combination of plastic and cardboard packaging that reduces both plastic and cardboard use. Packaging of food served at food court is changed. Service Salad containers used to serve food have 5% Reduction in Polypropylene Resin and 16 oz. Clear Cups used to serve, have 15% Reduction in PET Resin. (Costco Wholesale Sustainability Report, 2015) The company has its own system to collect and divert waste from landfill. Company has created a waste diversion program providing information to the costumers on how to reduce or divert disposable waste. Organic waste generated at Costco is recycled by being sent to worm farm and commercial compost facilities. The company works with other partners to support the initiatives of bringing organizations and people together to compost organic waste and make great soils to help people grow more nutritious food. Company has installed a grease recovery system to collect all the grease produced from rotisserie chickens. 1000. 000 lbs are recovered to date =286. 000 gallon of biofuel= reduction of 875. 732lbs of CO2. (Costco Wholesale Sustainability Report, 2015). By diverting recycled waste away from landfill disposal Costco has avoided greenhouse gases, has generated renewable electricity to power homes.
The company has a program for recycling of other materials. Tires are resold, recycled on different uses, in cement, crumb rubber used for road surfaces, sidewalks and pathways, daily landfill cover and decorative mulch. Expanded polystyrene is recycled and distributed to manufacturers that make picture frames, crown molding and other polystyrene products. 1. 5 million pounds of scrap metal were recycled and sent to local markets to be made into something new. (Costco Wholesale Sustainability Report, 2015). Protecting the environment and reducing the landfill area is one of Company’s priority. Costco makes efforts to reuse waste and generate energy. In many locations, waste is sent to all trash to a waste-to-energy facility, making these locations landfill-free.
