Making A Difference
We‘re working to improve the quality of life now and for generations to come by operating our business in environmentally responsible ways and by offering Members sustainable products.
Taking Smart Steps
Some of the steps we‘re taking include: finding ways our trucking fleets can reduce carbon dioxide emissions; building new Clubs with renewable energy; and operating existing Clubs in more energy efficient ways.
Setting Goals To Get There
We‘ve set the following sustainability goals. We‘re committed to measuring our progress and will let you know how we‘re doing.
What We‘re Doing
- We‘re placing an auxiliary power unit on each truck. The power unit turns on automatically after the truck idles for three minutes. The power unit supplies heat and air conditioning in the truck cab, so the engine can be turned off, which reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
- In one year, this change should eliminate approximately 100,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions and reduce our consumption of 10 million gallons of diesel fuel.
Why It Matters
- The United States represents about 4% of the population, but we consume 25% of the world‘s energy, which means we produce 25% of the world‘s greenhouse gasses, according to Roger Ballentine, president of Green Strategies, Inc.
- The energy needed to operate buildings accounts for roughly one-third of all energy use and more than 35% of air pollution.
What We‘re Doing
- We‘re reclaiming waste by sandwiching shrink wrap, plastic and aluminum between layers of cardboard and bundling it together in bales. The bales are sent to certified processors for recycling.
- We‘re looking for ways to reduce packaging and to use materials that can be recycled.
- We‘ve created a packaging scorecard to evaluate all Sam‘s Club packages and drive continuous improvement.
Why It Matters
- Recycling 35% of our trash would save enough energy to fuel 6 million homes and reduce the equivalent of 36 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
- The sandwich baling process could keep tens of millions of additional pounds of recyclable items out of landfills.
What We‘re Doing
The following represent just a few of the product areas where we‘re making a difference.
Why It Matters
- Electronics: 20-50 million tons of electronic waste are generated worldwide each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Agriculture: there is a need for fertilizers and chemicals to protect plants, and many are harmless. However, some are not good for people or the environment.
- Seafood: Since 1950, as many as 90% of the ocean‘s large fish have disappeared from overfishing, according to the Earth Policy Institute.