Target Corp. is promising to reduce its use of virgin plastics in its products, but let's hope that the company retains the plastic where it's needed: in its all-plastic carts.
The retailer has agreed to a 20 percent reduction by 2025 in just the latest change from major shopping sites prompted by shareholder action, as Steve Toloken writes.
The move is similar to pledges from Keurig Dr Pepper, PepsiCo and Unilever. Walmart has promised to disclose details of its corporate plan to improve sustainability, while Kroger Co., the nation's biggest grocery chain, faces a shareholder vote later this week on the issue.
But Target's plastic carts should be exempt from any discussion about reducing plastic, just because they've been the preferred performer since they debuted a little more than 10 years ago (in my opinon, of course).
No more door dings in the parking lot, no more twisted metal carts that jam together.
Injection molder Bemis Manufacturing's retail solutions business was created to make all-plastic carts and maintains its all-polymer carts enhance the shopping experience.
Just consider the value of silence. Bemis notes that its plastic carts were measured at 38.2 decibels, which is quieter than a library. A metal cart? At 50.2 decibels it ranked between a normal conversation and the hum of a large electrical transformer.