inside
costco
MEDIABAKE RY/E.J. FLYNN
HE RECENT PUBLICITY regarding the issue of global warming has re-emphasized teries to broken boxes of detergent, as our company
environmental concerns around the world and raised public awareness, which is the grows, so grows the waste we generate. Essentially,
most important aspect of solving any problem. Whether the subject is carbon diox- we’re responsible for the proper disposal of every-
thing employees use in their jobs and everything
ide (CO2) emissions, heavy metals in our landfills, toxic chemicals in our waterways members purchase in our buildings.
or any number of other issues, we’re facing environmental challenges that affect Reaching the point at which we can dispose of
each and every one of us, and our individual decisions and actions will determine every waste product we handle in the most efficient
their outcome. and environmentally responsible way is a daunting
Environmental sustainability is the key to meeting worldwide energy demand. task, but it’s one that Costco is committed to. While
the real work must be done by each of Costco’s
Responsibility, awareness and efficiency drive Costco Canada’s
Tenvironmental policy By Stephen Smith
Costco’s business model has always embraced that ideal. In this article, we take a employees, responsibility for the company’s cumu-
look at Costco’s current conservation, recycling and waste-management efforts, lative environmental footprint is spread throughout
and see the important role each of us plays in their effectiveness. While there’s many corporate departments. Buyers and merchan-
always room for improvement, we’ve plenty in which to take pride. dise services are responsible for hazardous-product
life cycle. Legal, real estate and construction departments perform land-purchase environmental due
Shrinking Costco’s carbon footprint diligence, including environmental testing, ecologi-Costco’s “no-frills” philosophy is tailor-made for cal impact analysis and remediation. It’s not only a
conservation and efficiency, and examples are abun- matter of being environmentally conscious; it’s also
dant. We reuse or bale and recycle all of our corru- a matter of law. Government regulations mandate
gated cardboard and plastics; we also recycle paper, proper disposal procedures for many potentially
replaced tires, used motor oil, automotive batteries hazardous materials. It’s a huge challenge, and one
and photo-lab silver. Costco representatives are board that can be accomplished only if each and every one
members of Stewardship Ontario, Éco-Entreprises of us does his or her part.
Minimizing Costco’s
ecological footprint
affects employees and
departments throughout the company.
Québec and La Société de gestion des huiles usagées,
all non-profit organizations that have been created
to promote the three R’s (recycling, reduction and
reuse) of materials in the waste stream. Costco is also It’s in
an active member of the Retail Council of Canada’s the bag
Environment Steering Committee, providing guidance and direction on environmental issues affect- AROUND THE WORLD, cities, towns and
ing retailers throughout Canada. countries are waking up to the environmental
Every day our buyers work with suppliers to impact of plastic grocery bags. Billions are
develop environmentally responsible packaging and handed out each year and end up in landfills
product usage, and our operators are constantly seek- or habitats, endangering flora and fauna.
ing to improve efficiency, which can often lead to Now, businesses and the public are working
energy savings. When it comes to the big picture in together to eliminate them by switching to
“green” business practices, Costco is doing well. reusable bags.
Now comes the hard part
As simple as we try to keep our business, it is
amazingly complex from an environmental point
of view. Beyond the bulk recycling of high-volume
packaging, we’re faced with a wide range of recycling challenges. From photo-lab chemicals to bat-
Costco has eschewed the use of grocery
bags from its very beginning, so it has nothing
from which to switch. Nevertheless, Costco
is doing its part, providing three high-value,
stylish reusable bags for shopping—two are
