Sustainability

Hamlin in Nanjing Confucius Temple

23 Jul: How We Work Toward Conflict-Free

Everyone has a cell phone these days, but have you thought about what goes into making it and where the parts come from?

Making products such as cell phones involves countless people, including workers around the world who mine and process the raw materials. Take tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold (known as 3TG), for example. These minerals are used in myriad products, including consumer electronics, and are mined from deposits found across the globe, with reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries.

Best Buy Geek Squad Academy Robotics

15 Jul: White House Taps Best Buy to Help Bridge Digital Divide in ConnectHome Initiative

Even as the promise of the connected home becomes reality for many of us, millions of Americans still have limited access to the high-speed broadband service that opens the door to opportunity. To help bridge this digital divide, Best Buy will offer the expertise of its talented employees and community outreach programs in a new ConnectHome initiative announced today by President Obama and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro.

The pilot program is launching in 27 cities and one tribal nation to initially reach more than 275,000 low-income households and nearly 200,000 children with the support they need to access the Internet at home.

FTSE4GOOD

10 Jul: Best Buy Included in Prestigious FTSE4Good Index

Best Buy made the prestigious FTSE4Good Index for the second year in a row.

The index includes publicly traded companies with strong environmental, social and governance practices. FTSE4Good Indices are utilized by socially responsible investors and other stakeholders to measure sustainability performance. Best Buy received the highest possible score in the environment category, on the heels of announcing that we exceeded our 20 by 20 carbon reduction goal.

For a deeper dive into our sustainability practices, check out our Fiscal Year 2015 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Report here.

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25 Jun: A Decade of Dedication

Happy 10th Anniversary, Best Buy Sustainability Report!

We’ve come a long way since our first Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability report in 2006. During this journey, we have tried 50 different ways to make an infographic, coerced co-workers into posing for photos, dabbled in QR codes, and conquered GRI G4.

We’ve gone from “rah-rah” Best Buy to digging into serious issues that affect our business and the world. From E-waste Recycling to Human Rights, we have stayed true to our objective over the years – to positively impact our world.

Recycle tile 1

23 Jun: Best Buy Ranked 2nd Among Greenest Retailers

It’s not easy being green, a wise frog once said. But shouldn’t it be easy?

At Best Buy, we believe being sustainable is good for business, and we have proof. Contrary to the old adage that it costs more to be “green” – it really can save money. Our recent 20% carbon reduction attainment saved Best Buy more than $50 million. Our leaders get it – they made sustainability a priority even through the Company’s turnaround.

It’s also easy to say you’re a “green” company.

Sustainability1Lighting_small_web

28 May: Best Buy’s Carbon-Reduction Efforts Commended by U.S. Department of Energy

Best Buy’s five-year-long drive to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 20 percent by 2020 was recognized as an unparalleled retailer achievement at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) White House ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

The reduction is part of the company’s effort to address climate change.

Thanks to a combination of an industry-leading energy management system, store lighting retrofit and improved fleet and distribution practices, Best Buy was commended for exceeding its goal and reducing emissions by 26 percent since 2010. 

Best Buy Energy Star

06 Apr: Best Buy Named ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Again

We are a big fan of ENERGY STAR® products – they save our customers money and they help the environment by using less energy. And we are proud to say that ENERGY STAR likes us, too.

The Environmental Protection Agency named Best Buy 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – for the second year in a row.

Here are a few ways that we spread the good word about ENERGY STAR:

  • Best Buy prominently features ENERGY STAR on BestBuy.com, where more than 1 billion visitors each year can learn about and identify ENERGY STAR certified products.
Insignia Television

23 Mar: Fewer Chemicals, Same Fire Safety for Insignia TVs

Note: This story has been updated.

Over the past several years, there has been heightened awareness about potentially hazardous chemicals in products. Consumers have become increasingly aware of what they put on their skin, handle on a daily basis and store in their homes. Some consumer electronics contain chemicals necessary to protect against immediate safety concerns like fire hazards. At Best Buy, we’re actively working to protect our consumers through safer alternatives or by eliminating potentially harmful chemicals.

With that in mind, we’re making improvements to our private label products.

St. Jude Best Buy 3

20 Feb: Best Buy Helps Donate $9.7M to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Photos: Courtesy of St. Jude

This past holiday, Mary Collett’s Best Buy mobile store in Odessa, Texas, was a company-wide leader in contributing to the St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign.

On Wednesday, she got to see first-hand all the good that money can do at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

“Until you visit St. Jude, you don’t really grasp the immenseness of it all,” she said during the tour of the Memphis-based hospital. “There are so many staff members.

Before and After Lighting

20 Feb: Brighter, Better and Energy Efficient: New Lights at 800 Best Buy Stores

We transitioned the stores from high wattage, high-bay metal halide fixtures (think old gymnasium lights) to more efficient, lower wattage fluorescent fixtures. It reduced our lighting energy usage by nearly half – the equivalent of removing more than 12,000 households from the grid. And it’s saving the company money.

This was a simple change that could be scaled across the chain, creating big results. It’s getting us much closer to our goal of reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

Connected Home In Store

12 Jan: A Smart Home is also a Sustainable Home

Not only do Connected Home products make your life easier and provide peace of mind, they provide additional environmental benefits, turning your smart home into a sustainable one. Automating your home’s temperature, lighting and other appliances reduces wasted energy when you are not home and saves you money in the process. Going one step further, you can monitor and start conserving water when irrigating your lawn.

Smart Thermostats
They save energy and money by not heating or cooling an empty house.

Best Buy Logo

08 Dec: Best Buy Strengthens Commitment to Sustainability Through Paper Policy

Best Buy is currently evaluating potential new paper suppliers as a way of increasing the number of vendors we rely on beyond our current primary supplier, Resolute Forest Products, from which we intend to meaningfully shift business and require to provide Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. Our intention is to conduct business with companies that support sustainable forestry practices including those in the Canadian Boreal Forest.  Clear preference will be awarded to companies that have earned FSC certification.

Building on our commitment to sustainability and the principle of continuous improvement, Best Buy will strengthen our paper procurement policy to ensure suppliers meet specific requirements for management of natural resources while minimizing environmental and social impacts.