Skip navigation

Wal-Mart Cuts Calif. Landfill Waste

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores here reported today that it has eliminated more than 80% of the waste that would have gone to landfills from its operations in California.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores here reported today that it has eliminated more than 80% of the waste that would have gone to landfills from its operations in California.

The waste reduction program that produced these results is now being implemented across Wal-Mart's 4,400 stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers in the U.S., with a goal of creating zero waste.

"We are proud of the progress we are making toward our zero waste goal, but realize we still have more work to do," said Bill Simon, president and chief executive officer, Wal-Mart US, in a statement. Through the company's waste-reduction program, "we are able to provide the raw materials needed to make new products, recycle millions of pounds of commodities and reduce the environmental impact of landfill," he added.

Wal-Mart's zero-waste program has three main components:

• Recycling cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic bags and roughly 30 other items through the "super sandwich bale" program. Items not eligible for the SSN program, including wood pallets, polystyrene plastic and apparel, are sent to Wal-Mart’s return centers for reuse or recycling.

• Donating nutritious food to food banks around the country. In 2010, Wal-Mart donated 256 million pounds of food to hunger relief organizations — the equivalent of 197 million meals.

• Creating animal feed, energy or compost from expired food and other organic products through the Environmental Protection Agency’s food waste hierarchy.

"One of the key aims for the Clinton Climate Initiative's Waste Program is to reduce methane emissions from landfills, and Wal-Mart's initiative sends a clear message to other businesses that this is one source of emissions that can and should be addressed now," said Karen Luken, director of the CCCI Waste Program.