We have long been committed to making a positive impact on the planet and the communities we serve, and that journey has pushed us to continually find new ways to make our business even more sustainable.
Today, we’re proud to announce that our Reverse Logistics Center in Chino, California, has earned Best Buy’s first TRUE certification for zero waste. Over the last year, the supply chain facility was able to divert more than 99.67% of its solid waste from landfills.
TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) certification helps facilities define, pursue and achieve zero waste goals, which increases their resource efficiency, cuts their carbon footprint, and supports public health. It’s administered by Green Business Certification Inc., the same organization behind LEED certification for buildings.
This milestone is part of our broader efforts to protect the planet and create a more sustainable future. Part of our commitment is to reduce our carbon footprint and helping our customers keep e-waste out of landfills. To continue reducing our impact on the environment, we will work toward building a more sustainable supply chain, expanding our zero-waste efforts to different facilities.
The Chino facility achieved this milestone by identifying waste streams and finding ways to make it easier for employees to recycle. During the process, we used data gathered by Rubicon — a software platform that provides smart waste and recycling solutions — to create a baseline for our waste diversion efforts, then pinpoint opportunities to achieve our goal.
That work was a team effort. A dedicated group of employees came together to form a “green team,” and led the charge in launching several new waste initiatives, including standardized color-coded containers and labels throughout the office, lunchroom and warehouse to help increase employee recycling.
Leading the way
We’ve made significant progress across our operations, working hard to reduce our emissions nearly 60% since 2009. And we’re committed to doing more.
By 2030, we want to reduce our carbon emissions by 75% while also helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 20%. We’ve also signed The Climate Pledge, committing to be carbon neutral across our operations by 2040.
As the nation’s largest retail collector of e-waste, we have collected more than 2 billion pounds of tech from customers for recycling since 2009. Our recycling program is part of our continued efforts to protect the environment and support our customers throughout the lifecycle of their products, making it easier for them to give their tech a second life and out of landfills.
Additionally, waste reduction remains an important facet of our environmental strategy across our operations. We’ve set a goal to achieve 85% waste diversion.
Click here to learn more about Best Buy’s environmental sustainability efforts.