Efficient Operations

Responsible Recycling Standards

Target is committed to responsible environmental stewardship by actively monitoring our recycling and disposal practices for electronic waste —items recycled by guests in our in-store recycling stations as well as merchandise and assets we recycle. Target has developed the following standards, by which we expect our vendor partners to abide:

• All items are refurbished, broken down and recycled, or marketed for re-use.
• All e-waste items are processed domestically, and no e-waste materials are sent to landfills anywhere in the world.
• Vendors are required to submit monthly reporting on all sales and recycling activity, which, along with site audits, encourages transparency and allows visibility into vendor processes.

Target ensures that our vendor partners comply with the standards above through periodic process reviews and inspections.

Target also strives to continually improve and expand current programs while identifying new opportunities to divert materials from landfill.

Smart Transportation

Reducing our carbon footprint is a priority at Target, which is why we made it our goal to support the adoption of cleaner and more fuel efficient transportation practices. While we don’t own and operate the transportation fleets that carry our freight, we partner closely with carriers, vendors and other key players, putting processes in place to encourage efficient transportation practices.

Since 2008, Target has been a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transportation Partnership, which includes an annual assessment of the carbon footprint of domestic transportation operations. Last year, with the help of the EPA and two of our major transportation vendors, we gathered information to better understand the impact of higher carbon fuels across our supply chain. We found that increased visibility of our carriers’ fuel sources is a critical step needed to help us make choices about using lower carbon fuels.

To help us gain that visibility, Target encourages current and potential transportation vendors to join us in our commitment to use resources responsibly and minimize our carbon footprint. We ask providers to disclose what steps they are taking – or planning to take – to eliminate higher carbon fuels.

“Target is promoting sustainable transportation through EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership. Target's commitment to protecting our health, communities and energy security is demonstrated by working to reduce their transportation carbon footprint.”

Margo T. Oge Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Environmental Protection Agency

While we must take responsibility for our own contributions to climate change, a solution requires a joint effort among businesses, individuals and government. Target supports government action toward restricting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and we are participating in a solution-oriented dialogue with stakeholders. We support a national, market-based approach to GHG-emission reduction and a national standard for green building codes and certifications.

The majority of Target’s emissions are an indirect result of the electricity used to operate our stores. Target discloses its carbon emissions each year through the Carbon Disclosure Project, an investor-supported group that solicits emissions data from large companies. We’re taking steps to lessen our impact by enhancing our energy-efficient store design, using new lighting technologies and experimenting with renewable energy.

Target is committed to reducing our global carbon footprint and working toward our carbon-reduction goals.

We’re also taking steps to reduce refrigerant emissions from the systems used to cool and freeze the food in our stores. Target recently joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) GreenChill program, a partnership between the EPA and more than 50 food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the environment. We’re currently testing a more sustainable refrigerant in 11 Target stores.

Another area of focus is transportation. For example, we instituted a no-idle policy at all our facilities and we continually employ new programs to increase use of trucks that use clean diesel or liquefied natural gas. We also use best-in-class technology to optimize freight movements so we make fewer and shorter trips.

While these programs are a good start, Target is committed to further reducing our carbon footprint. If we all follow the same rules and work toward consistent goals, we can achieve quicker, more meaningful reductions of greenhouse gasses and improve our communities together.

Find out how we plan to reduce our operating waste in order to decrease our carbon footprint.

ENERGY STAR Certified

As part of our holistic approach to sustainability, Target has a strong partnership with ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy focused on the energy efficiency of our buildings and the products we sell.

We are committed to earning the ENERGY STAR for at least 75 percent of our U.S. buildings—stores, office buildings and data centers—by 2016. While many of our buildings feature energy-saving elements, currently more than 200 of our stores have earned the ENERGY STAR for meeting strict energy performance standards set by the EPA.

These stores feature energy-efficiency initiatives in lighting, refrigeration and HVAC. Inside, we use low-wattage light fixtures on the sales floor, a change that reduced a store’s energy cost by approximately 10 percent. We outfitted our refrigerated cases with LED lights and motion sensors. Outside, we installed white roof membranes that reflect sunlight to lower our cooling needs and we use LED lights in exterior signs.

Find out how we’ll continue to build our partnership with ENERGY STAR by working to certify more new and remodeled stores.

Since 2008, we have retrofitted more than 600 stores with a new light fixture that converts four-bulb overhead fixtures to energy-efficient two-bulb fixtures without sacrificing any light. Another 500 stores will be retrofitted in 2011.

Bright Idea

The bright white lights in our stores are part of what makes the Target shopping experience unique. We’ve found a new way to save energy and money, while maintaining the bright appeal of our stores.

In 2007, we began installing energy-efficient two-bulb light fixtures in new stores. In 2008, we introduced a retrofit solution for existing stores that converted three-bulb or four-bulb fixtures to two-bulb fixtures. Since then, we’ve converted the light fixtures in more than 600 existing stores without reducing light levels. This retrofit project will reach another 500 stores in 2011.

Thanks to design-focused teams at Target, the new fixture produces the same amount of light as our current fixture, but consumes 48 percent less energy. Target has continued to hone this design, saving an additional 10 percent in energy costs in 2010 compared to 2009. Over a year’s time, stores experience an average 10 percent reduction in energy costs. The energy reduction from this change more than offsets the increased energy used by existing general-merchandise stores that have been converted to our expanded fresh food format, which also includes more refrigeration.

This lighting retrofit project is one of the ways we are increasing energy efficiency and minimizing our carbon footprint. On top of the energy savings, all existing metal components, lamps, bulbs and cardboard packaging from the new components are recycled—making this a low-waste project.

Target’s other energy-saving initiatives include an energy management system that controls the temperature and humidity in our buildings, light sensors that detect when lighting is not needed, and LED lighting in all of refrigerated cases, both reach-in coolers and open deck displays.