Take Back My TV
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Target Report Card
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| The Talk: | Target strives to be a responsible steward of the environment1 ….Decades ago, Target was one of the first large retailers to commit to a philosophy and practice of reducing, reusing and recycling. ”2 |
|
|---|---|---|
| The Walk: | Absolutely no program for the takeback of TVs or other electronics | |
| About Target: | While Target is largely a retailer selling a variety of brands of TVs, Target also has their own “house brands” of TVs – TruTech. As the brandowner of TruTech TVs, Target should be providing free, convenient and responsible recycling of those TVs. (It would also be convenient for consumers if retailers, such as Target, provided collection opportunities for a range of brands.) | |
| Category | Possible Points | Points Earned | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope of US takeback recycling program | 38 | 0 | |
| Offers free convenient national takeback recycling for their branded TVs for individual consumers | 25 | 0 | Target only handles product returns and their own company e-waste. 3 |
| Offers free national takeback recycling for a larger scope of their branded products in addition to TVs | 8 | 0 | |
| Offers free national takeback recycling for other customers – not just individual consumers | 3 | 0 | |
| Offers to take products from other brands for free or a nominal charge | 2 | 0 | |
| Provides responsible recycling | 37 | 1 | |
| Signed Manufacturers Commitment to Responsible Electronics Recycling or other public commitment to not export to developing countries/use prison labor/landfill/incinerate toxic materials* | 15 |
0 |
|
| Publishes full recycling standards on company website | 5 | 0 | |
| Use only E-Stewards as recyclers | 5 | 0 | |
| Discloses recycling and refurbishing vendors on company website | 5 | 1 | Limited information available for monitor and TV glass: “Our recycling vendor uses the “Glass to Glass” recycling method, meaning that all components are recycled and no waste is generated. ”4 |
| Discloses countries where final disposal/recycling of toxic materials occurs | 7 | 0 |
|
| Volumes and visibility | 15 | 1 | |
| Has ambitious collection and recycling goals expressed as a percent of sales or other measures |
2 | 0 | |
| Significant volume of e-waste collected and recycled nationally and publicly reported as a percent of sales or other measure | 10 |
1 | In 2006, Target recycled 1.4 million pounds of e-waste from its customer returns and company e-waste. There is no data for a more recent year. |
| Easy to find recycling information on company website | 3 | 0 | |
| Public policy |
10 | 1 | |
| Statement of support and active work in support of producer takeback recycling legislation with performance goals for manufacturers at the state level | 5 | 0 | No statement |
| Statement of support and active work on federal legislation to ban the export of toxic electronic waste to developing nations | 5 | 0 | No statement |
| Total Possible |
Total Earned |
||
| TOTAL SCORE |
100
|
2 |
F |
1. http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031698
2. http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031813
3. http://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-004429
4. http://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-004429
Press Coverage
Electronics Recycling - Who’s Responsible?
Recycling Today12-29-09 -- As the lawsuit challenging New York City’s electronics take-back law prepares for opening arguments in mid-January, industry associations and electronics recycling advocates wonder what effect the court’s ruling will have on the future of producer responsibility.
A Green Way to Dump Low-Tech Electronics
The New York Times06-30-09 -- The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 99.1 million televisions sit unused in closets and basements across the country. Consumer response to recycling has been enormous in states where the laws have taken effect.
LCD and plasma TV sales brighten retail picture
Los Angeles Times06-29-09 -- Slashed prices, the digital transition and a budget-prompted tendency to spend more time at home motivate consumers to upgrade their televisions.
