Ensuring a sustainable future for our planet is a collaborative effort, and we engage the help of our colleagues, suppliers and customers to help address our environmental impacts. We continually engage with suppliers to help them reduce their impacts and support our consumers’ efforts to reduce their own footprints. Our Sustainability Leadership Council and Logistics Sustainability Committee drive initiatives throughout our business operations and seek ways to engage employees to reduce their impacts.
Helping Consumers Reduce and Reuse
To encourage our consumers to adopt eco-friendly behaviors, we introduced “GreenBagTag,” a reusable bag program, which enables our customers to reduce their environmental impacts and earn ExtraBucks® Rewards at the same time. Once consumers purchase the GreenBagTag for 99-cents online or at CVS/pharmacy stores, they earn ExtraBucks Rewards each time they decline a plastic bag or use a reusable shopping bag. Since the program was launched in 2009, 2.1 million customers have scanned a GreenBagTag a total of 61.2 million times, and we have issued more than $14.4 million in Extrabucks rewards. In 2011, we also expanded our in-store recycling programs for plastic bags and bottles and piloted an in-store recycling program for enhanced consumer convenience at more than 200 retail locations across the U.S.
Engaging Employees
Research shows engaging employees around sustainability issues can be a driver of employee satisfaction and deepen their connections to the company. Employees can also be a source of innovation when it comes to identifying efficiencies and sustainability measures. In 2011, we saw this to be true, as colleagues across our business operations – from our stores, to distribution centers, to the boardroom – helped drive initiatives to reduce our footprint. From employee training sessions, publications about our sustainability events and presentations to leadership, our employee sustainability groups showed the growing importance of sustainability at every level within our organization.
Executive Environmental Management Council
The Executive Environmental Management Council (EEMC), established in 2011, is a group of senior-level corporate executives representing all business units of CVS Caremark. The role of the EEMC is to direct the overarching strategy, policy and implementation of the Environmental Management Program (EMP). This Council advises the CEO on the overall performance of the EMP.
Sustainability Leadership Council
The Sustainability Leadership Council, formerly the Environmental Leadership Council, oversees our enterprise-wide environmental strategy and goals. In 2011, the Council focused on revising our GHG goals and reviewing current and prospective initiatives. Moving forward, the Council will seek ways to increase employee engagement in sustainability initiatives across the business and to increase our engagement with current and potential suppliers to ensure they understand our commitment to sustainability.
Sustainability Committee
Introduced in 2011, the Sustainability Committee is a cross-functional team that drives sustainability initiatives throughout the CVS/pharmacy Logistics team. Current initiatives include, evaluating appropriate performance indicators and metrics, installing exterior LED lighting and generating storm water pollution plans.
