Ale Valeriano
Best Buy has long been committed to making a positive impact on the planet and the communities served, and that journey has pushed us them to continually find new ways to make the business even more sustainable. Best Buy is proud to announce that their 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 Best Buy’s commitment is to reduce their carbon footprint and helping customers keep e-waste out of landfills. To continue reducing the impact on the environment, Best Buy will work toward building a more sustainable supply chain, expanding 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, Best Buy used data gathered by Rubicon — a software platform that provides smart waste and recycling solutions — to create a baseline for waste diversion efforts, then pinpoint opportunities to achieve their 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.
Best Buy has made significant progress across operations, working hard to reduce emissions nearly 60% since 2009. And Best Buy has committed to doing more. By 2030, Best Buy wants to reduce their carbon emissions by 75% while also helping customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 20%. Best Buy has also signed The Climate Pledge, committing to be carbon neutral across operations by 2040.
As the nation’s largest retail collector of e-waste, Best Buy has collected more than 2 billion pounds of tech from customers for recycling since 2009. Their recycling program is part of the continued efforts to protect the environment and support 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 Best Buy’s environmental strategy across operations. Best Buy has set a goal to achieve 85% waste diversion.