Sears Holdings Corp. announced last week it would follow the lead of Wal- Mart and Target Stores in beginning to reduce the use of PVC in the packaging of items sold in its Sears and Kmart stores. Sears is the fourth largest retailer in the US with over $50 billion in annual revenues and roughly 3800 stores in the US and Canada.
The company said it has adopted a policy aimed at identifying more sustainable choices because of the potential health risks tied to the manufacture, use and disposal of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Sears did not mention a specific timetable for the phase out. The company has also set long term goals for the use of biobased plastics and those with higher recycled content that can easily be reused, recycled or composted.
As part of the policy, Sears said it will begin marking private-label merchandise as PVC-free when appropriate and will encourage vendors to reduce or eliminate their use of PVC in merchandise and packaging.
"Sears Holdings recognizes the importance of being a positive, contributing member of the communities in which we work and live," the company said in a statement. " Part of that is tied to the company's commitment to environmental sustainability."
Sears Catalogs Far from Green
Sears Holding Corp. has been under intense pressure over the last several months from forest protection groups led by Forest Ethics for not employing sustainable practices in its catalogs. The company's Sears and Lands End brands send out millions of catalogs annually printed on paper made from virgin pulp and sourced from rapidly declining forests in Canada. Many companies have significantly reduced their catalog production and/or changed their paper sources to include recycled content and content from sustainability harvested wood sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Sears appeared last in a recent rating of companies environmental practices related to the use of paper.
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