Circularity

As we develop and manufacture Target owned brand products, we are taking steps to eliminate waste, keep products and materials in use longer and decrease our dependency on natural resources, thereby strengthening our business.

a cartoon of a train

For our environmental impact to be sustainable, it must be centered on circularity — by designing out waste, using more sustainable and/or durable materials and making reuse and recycling easier. This principle is incorporated throughout our business and guides Target team members as we consider environmental sustainability when we design products, processes and properties.  

In 2020, Target launched our Circular Design Guide website as an internal training hub. The website provides guidance on our four circular design principles (material choice, durability, repairability and recyclability) and includes internal case studies, resources and examples from other companies in the industry. 

To enhance our own capabilities and drive change at scale, Target is involved in several groups that foster pre-competitive circularity programs and provide access to reports, insights and accelerator programs for innovators and start-ups, including: Fashion for Good, Global Fashion Agenda and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 

Explore Circularity

Product & Packaging Design

We consider and prioritize recyclability, refill and reuse, and strive to eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastics, increase post-consumer recycled material, and reduce and eliminate packaging.
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Waste Elimination & Reduction

We are taking several steps to maximize diversion of waste [1] from landfill on our journey to achieving zero waste to landfill in U.S. operations.
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Plastics 

Plastics remain a priority as part of our commitment to circularity, and our goals focus on reducing and eliminating virgin plastic material use. By 2025, we intend to have 100% of our owned brand plastic packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable, and reduce annual total virgin plastic in our owned brand packaging, compared to 2020, by 20%. 

Read about our approach to plastics


1 The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of products, packaging and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health, as established by the Zero Waste International Alliance. The threshold to be considered “Zero Waste” is normally set at a minimum of 90% diversion rate.