With a new circular economy lead in place as of March, Anastasia Smolina, Walmart is stepping up its focus on recycling and reuse on multiple fronts — with packaging squarely in its sights.
Walmart embraced the idea of using 100 percent recyclable packaging for its private brands back in 2016, with the goal of reaching that mark by 2025. In 2019, it changed the focus to include reusable and industrially compostable packaging in the mix and to use at least 17 percent post-consumer recycled plastic content for its private brands. According to its latest progress report, Walmart has reached 55 percent of its overall packaging goal; it has hit a 9 percent level for post-consumer recycled content. Reducing the amount of materials used for any physical item is also a big focus for the company.
