Walmart makes waste reduction move as it eyes more sustainable omnichannel fulfilment network

Walmart is adopting new measures designed to reduce the amount of packaging waste associated with online orders.

This includes moving from plastic to recyclable paper mailers, right-sizing cardboard box packaging, giving customers the option to consolidate shipping on e-commerce orders, opting out of single-use plastic bags for online pickup orders and last mile delivery efficiencies to reduce mileage and delivery times.

Moving forward, nearly all orders shipped in plastic mailers from fulfilment centres, stores and marketplace items shipped with Walmart Fulfillment Services, will arrive in recyclable paper bag mailers.

This transition is expected to eliminate 65 million plastic bag mailers or more than 2,000 tons of plastic from circulation in the US by the end of the current fiscal year.

Additionally, customers in the US will soon have the choice to opt out of single-use plastic bags for their online Pickup orders. Walmart expects to complete roll-out nationwide by the end of the year.

“Our commitment to regeneration is core to who we are and how we innovate at Walmart. Customers have told us how excited they are about these enhancements to make it easier for them to make more sustainable choices that support the planet and the next generation,” says Karisa Sprague, Senior Vice President, Fulfilment Network Operations, Walmart U.S.

Walmart is also helping reduce the amount of cardboard used to ship products to customers by transitioning to right-sized packaging technology in approximately half of its fulfillment network.

This technology helps create a package custom fitted to the customer’s order. By eliminating unused space in the box, this technology, according to Walmart, reduces the need for filler by 60% while reducing waste caused by oversized boxes by as much as 26%.

Additionally, all Walmart customers shopping online can now request consolidation of multiple items into fewer boxes.

Finally, Walmart is tapping applied AI to identify when an item purchased online can be fulfilled from stores instead of fulfilment centres. This reduces both the number of miles driven and the number of boxes used for shipping.

To ensure that items can more sustainably travel from stores to customers’ homes, the retailer combines multiple orders on single delivery routes and delivers them using electric vans.

By leaning on its 4,700 stores as fulfilment centres, Walmart says that it uses its end-to-end network to speed up delivery times for customers and reduce fleet miles and emissions, in line with its commitment to achieve zero emissions by 2040.

“With a Walmart store located within 10 miles of 90% of the US population, we can make a meaningful difference for our customers by strategically using our stores and last mile delivery network to reduce waste and emissions,” says Jennifer McKeehan, Senior Vice President of End-to-End Delivery at Walmart U.S.

“I’m proud of the efforts we’ve made and will continue to make as we keep regeneration at the forefront of delivery.”