TJX and the Environment
The TJX Companies, Inc. is committed to protecting the environment and complying with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, as well as incorporating efficiency improvements when possible. We attempt to reduce, reuse or recycle waste products, including corrugated cardboard (used mainly as packing materials), plastics and scrap metal. Our facilities monitor energy and water usage, with several efforts underway to reduce consumption. We are constantly exploring ways to improve our environmental conservation efforts. A recent example is in many of our stores we offer attractive, reusable shopping bags for a nominal charge, giving customers who prefer not to use plastic bags, a choice.
TJX believes in using measurable environmental conservation targets for energy, waste and water to monitor year-over-year performance. Our Energy Management Department is charged with implementing and monitoring conservation/efficiency strategies and best practices. Our Transportation and Logistics Department spearheads numerous initiatives to reduce fuel consumption and transportation costs through more efficient processes, including improving trailer loading methods and reducing the number of trucks needed to transport goods. Our distribution centers conserve energy, and reduce, reuse and recycle waste including corrugated cardboard, plastic and scrap metal.
TJX is not a significant consumer of water, since we do not own manufacturing operations, but we believe reducing our usage is both consistent with our low-cost operating philosophy, and is the right thing to do. For instance, we use time-sensor technology in many of our restrooms, and in the U.K., work is underway to monitor and remedy excessive consumption at stores.
Our Commitment
At TJX, our Associate Code of Conduct provides a clear set of standards that Associates at all levels are expected to follow, including being in full compliance with the law, conducting all Company business fairly, honestly and ethically and protecting the environment. Our Compliance Committee monitors infractions, ensuring that our Associate Code of Conduct is upheld with integrity.
Additionally, our Vendor Compliance Committee is charged with monitoring our Vendor Compliance Program. Our Vendor Code of Conduct requires our vendors and the factories in which merchandise sold to us is manufactured to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to all environmental laws and regulations. Also, our Code requires our vendors to provide their workers with a safe and healthy workplace and safe working conditions.
TJX takes stakeholder involvement seriously. Over the years, we have engaged in dialogue with a number of third party stakeholders on a wide range of social responsibility issues. We will continue to be responsive to third party stakeholders when we deem it appropriate as one means of addressing socially important issues pertinent to our business and industry.
The TJX Companies is listed on the FTSE4Good Index; FTSE is an independent company owned by The Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange. The FTSE4Good Index is international and measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognized corporate responsibility standards, including supply chain labor standards and environment criteria.
Other Examples of Our Practices
Whether in our stores, distribution centers or Home Office, cost effective, environmentally friendly business practices are in action every day. The following are a few examples to illustrate:
TJX has a history of focusing on energy efficiency in lighting our stores. TJX was an early adopter of electronic ballast technology, which decreased our use of energy in stores significantly. Our distribution centers also make lighting conservation a priority. At many of our facilities, the Company uses high efficiency T5 fluorescent lighting, which uses nearly 50% less electricity.
In addition to increasing efficiencies in lighting, almost all of TJX’s distribution centers are specially designed to simplify the reuse and recycling of the vast amount of corrugated cardboard we receive from our vendors. Virtually all our vendor corrugated cardboard is recycled or reused at these distribution centers.
TJX has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership. This program is a collaborative effort between shippers, truckers, and the EPA to find innovative ways to reduce both fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions. As a SmartWay shipper, TJX is committed to tracking our fuel usage, as well as sending at least 50 percent of our goods using SmartWay Transport Carriers.
The Company also pursues many energy saving strategies at its home offices in Framingham, Massachusetts. These include heating and lighting systems and practices that reduce energy consumption. We have recycling programs in place that remove 100% of white paper from our waste stream. We also recycle corrugated paper and other recyclable paperboard products. In addition, the Company has utilized demountable steel walls to create and reconfigure office space, avoiding the need to dismantle and install new dry wall every time the Company needs to reconfigure office space. At this time, we use about 30,000 linear feet of demountable steel walls in our offices. Home Office also has an Associate car pool program.