Sustainability

What we are learning about our footprint on the environment is both shocking and inspiring. Despite our excellence in efficiency, commerce creates a lot of waste. Fortunately, we've identified plenty of opportunities that, if captured, can transform our entire industry. At Sam’s Club, we are committed to continuous improvement.

Wherever feasible, we are using a lifecycle analysis (LCA) to view the impact of our choices on each stage of the process. As consumers, we tend to focus on disposal of items at the end of their useful life. At Sam’s Club, we are very proud of the progress we have made in this area by recycling the waste that is created in our Clubs. We’re reclaiming waste by sandwiching shrink wrap, aluminum, PET, and HDPE between layers of cardboard and bundling it together in bales. The bales are sent to certified processors for recycling.

In determining which cold cup to use in our Club Cafes, a variety of paper and plastic options were weighed. Our analysis took into account the rate at which the material is recovered based on government data regarding consumer recycling rates. It also considered the amount of greenhouse gases produced in the manufacturing and shipping of the material. Additionally, it took into account how much material is used and whether that material is renewable.

	Cup Options
Packaging Principles Remove/Reduce (GHG) Reuse Renewable Recoverable (Municipalities) Performance	Expanded Polystyrene HDPE PET HIPS PP Paper PLA Baseline More More More More More More No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Few Few No Few No No Baseline Same Same Same Same Poor Poor

This chart summarizes some of the analysis. For example, paper and corn based plastics like PLA have the benefit of being made from renewal resources so they have a “yes” in that column. However, both require more energy to make and ship than lighter plastic options which is why it says “more” in the greenhouse gas column. Additionally, neither are readily recycled because most municipalities cannot handle PLA or paper which has a wax liner (such as cold cups) as indicated in the “recoverable” row with “no.”

Expanded Polystyrene has historically been a preferred consumer material because of its superior insulating properties and lack of condensation or “sweating.” It is not made from a renewable resource as indicated with a “no.” However, the foaming process requires a smaller amount of material than other more dense options. This makes the cup very efficient to manufacture and ship. This produces less greenhouse gas than the other options. And while it is not readily recycled in most municipalities, it is about 60% less solid waste by weight than a paper cup.

We continue to evaluate options and are working with our partners to test new materials, increase recycling, and find ways to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions across the lifecycle of the products we provide. In partnership with suppliers, government agencies, and NGOs, along with input from our Members, we are making significant progress. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts with us, please click this link.