Environmental Sustainability

Apparel brands including Timberland and North Face are adopting a fabric for green clothing made from a composite fiber used to make yarn that is made from coffee grounds and plastic bottles.

Amazon.com and Wal-Mart are prodding more manufacturers to change their packaging to cut waste and alleviate “wrap rage,” the frustration felt when a product is difficult to open. The retailers have been pushing vendors to eliminate excessive and cumbersome packing materials, such as hard plastic clamshell casings that enclose electronics and wire ties used to secure toys to cardboard backings.

German sport lifestyle brand PUMA is planning to build on the success of its eco-friendly sustainable packaging and recycled shoes by producing clothes and trainers that are compostable.

Best Buy is implementing a new automated energy management system in all of its 1,150 stores, which is projected to cut energy costs by 15 percent in three years. By Jan. 31 the system will be installed in 300 stores with the remaining stores nationwide to come onboard by the middle of next year, the company announced. 

Bad news: your cherished denim might not be so great for Mother Nature. Levi Strauss released a statement saying the typical pair of blue jeans consumes 919 gallons of water during its lifespan, or the equivalent of 15 spa-size bathtubs.

For the second year in a row, Office Depot was recognized in Newsweek magazine’s annual “Green Rankings” as the greenest large retailer in the U.S. Across all industry sectors, Office Depot was ranked as the U.S.' 8th greenest large company, a move up of 10 spots from last year, and was the only retailer in the U.S. Top 10 list.

Outdoor equipment and clothing retailer REI and warehouse club operator Costco are among five companies that are using new voluntary recycling labels on some of their products beginning next summer. They've committed to participate in the pilot of the Package Recovery Label System developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.

Ikea officially plugged in two Blink Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at its Portland, Ore. store as part of its partnership with ECOtality. The initiative is the first such project for Ikea in the U.S.

American Eagle Outfitters and Cotton Incorporated are partnering on a denim recycling program called “Cotton. From Blue to Green.” Through Oct. 18, more than 850 American Eagle Outfitters stores are participating as well as 47 college campuses across the U.S.

Cardboard boxes are out as part of Office Depot’s GreenerOffice Delivery Service. Customers will now receive supplies in paper bags protected during transportation in reusable plastic totes.