San Diego — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing progress on its mission to improve the lives of pets, pet parents and its own employees — including the launch of a new large-scale LDPE plastic recycling program.
“Our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of pets, people and the planet we all share is pivotal to our mission as a purpose-driven pet retailer,” says Benjamin Thiele-Long, chief ESG and communications officer. “By making meaningful progress on ESG pillars that matter to our stakeholders, we continue to fuel the great enthusiasm our Petco partners bring to work, differentiate our business and grow the deep connection we have with the customers and communities we serve.”
Petco has piloted a new recycling program to divert plastic that is not recyclable at curbside from landfills. The company leveraged existing back-haul shipments to transport low density polyethylene (LDPE) — a flexible thermoplastic polymer commonly used in plastic bags, cling wrap and other product-wrapping materials — from Petco locations to distribution centers and deliver it to a specialized plastic recycling partner to give it a new life as composite decking material for commercial and residential use.
In just 6 months, Petco recycled more than 4 tons of LDPE plastic, with zero incremental carbon footprint or labor. Today, Petco is announcing the successful program has been rolled out as standard operations for hundreds of Petco pet care centers nationwide and is expected to divert nearly 150 tons of plastic from landfills annually.
“Our LDPE plastic recycling program is a great example of the sustainability mindset embedded in Petco’s operations and the key role our Petco partners play in improving our processes to help preserve the wellbeing of our planet,” says Francesca Mahoney, VP of sustainability. “We will continue prioritizing these efforts so pets and pet parents can thrive in healthy environments for generations to come.”
Additionally, the company coordinated community cleanup events and product reallocation and donation efforts that contributed to approximately a 24% increase in total waste reduction, compared to 2022.
To access Petco’s full ESG report and learn more about their commitments and progress, visit www.esg.petco.com.
Founded in 1965, Petco operates more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.