At Macy’s, Inc., we believe that contributing to a more sustainable environment is good business practice and the right thing to do for future generations. We also believe in taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability and renewability with our customers, associates and vendor partners.
Here are a few examples of tangible actions by Macy's, Inc. in the drive to improve sustainability:
What We’ve Done Already
At Macy's, Inc., we believe in taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability and renewability with our customers, associates and vendor partners. Among the dozens of tangible steps we have taken to reduce our impact on the environment, we have:
- Installed active solar power systems at about 40 Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores and facilities. The new 3.5-megawatt solar power system on our Goodyear, AZ, online fulfillment center is the largest rooftop solar power system in the United States
- Invested in energy efficiency projects and consumption reduction initiatives that reduced our total energy use by 23 percent in the period 2002 to 2010
- Decreased our use of office/copy paper by 36 percent and paper used in marketing by 14 percent in the period 2007 to 2010
- Increased to 90 percent the proportion of recycled or certified paper used in our marketing materials, to 80 percent in our shopping bags, and to 89 percent in gift boxes;
- Installed more than 130,000 LED light bulbs in 2010 to cut energy consumption by up to 73 percent in 95 Macy's stores in 2010, with continued rollout planned for 2011
- Initiated recycling programs that diverted more than 66 tons of waste in 2010 from our stores, offices and distribution centers away from dumping in landfills
- Created an internal web site, Green Living, so our 160,000+ associates can interact with the company on sustainability-related topics at work and home
- Substituted biodegradable packing materials in place of foam “peanuts” in shipping products bought by customers online
- Initiated a two-year process for eliminating foam packaging (cups, bowls, plates, to-go containers) in the company's in-store restaurants
- Pioneered efforts to reduce the number of empty trucks on the nation's highways through a coordinated program called Empty Miles Service that matches empty trucks/trailers with other shippers or carriers that can use the space
Setting New Goals
Building on progress over the past several years, Macy's, Inc. has set new sustainability goals to guide our progress through 2013. Specifically, Macy's, Inc., will seek to:
- Reduce our energy consumption on a kWh per square foot basis by another 8 percent to 10 percent by 2013 (compared with 2009 levels), recognizing that we have already reduced our energy consumption by about 19 percent over the previous seven years (2003 to 2009).
- Host an additional 15 percent to 25 percent of renewable energy sources by 2013.
- Reduce the amount of paper we use by at least 10 percent by 2013 (from 2009 levels). This is on top of a reduction of 23 percent in the 2007 to 2009 period.
- Increase the percentage of recycled (10 percent PCW or higher) and/or third-party certified paper we use in marketing materials to 70 percent by 2013 from 63 percent in 2009 (up from 3 percent in 2006).
- Increase the use of sustainable building materials in all major construction projects by 20 percent (over 2010 levels).