Sustainability

We are committed to providing healthy and engaging environments for our customers and associates. By seeking solutions that encourage long-term sustainability, we try to leave a smaller footprint. The steps we have taken and continue to take – both big and small – help us drive results as we strive to create a more sustainable tomorrow.

Recycling: We support recycling programs and waste avoidance strategies to conserve resources. 

Climate: To demonstrate our commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, we signed the American Business Act Pledge on Climate Change. We acknowledge climate change can alter the way we currently do business, from energy expenses to sourcing, even to shifting seasonal weather conditions that impact our customers’ shopping habits.  

Buildings: We aim to provide healthy and engaging environments for our customers, associates and communities through our more than 1,100 stores, facilities and corporate offices. As part of these efforts, we have invested in building and maintaining energy efficient, sustainable buildings. 

Chemical: Kohl's Department Stores is committed to Chemical Sustainability. In that regard, we are seeking to prevent, eliminate, and reduce the use of chemicals in our products, phase out chemicals of concern and improve the overall chemical management in our operations.    

Operational Recycling: In store and at our corporate facilities, our solid waste management policy covers the disposal of all consumables and durable goods with the goal of recycling as much material as possible. Kohl’s recycles the shipping material from shipment packaging. We also actively work with our merchant teams to increase the units per carton, helping to reduce the amount of handling, transportation and overall material in the supply chain.

Dry Recycling: Materials are collected and delivered to a facility to be sorted before being appropriately recycled or disposed of.

Plastic Recycling: In 2014, we developed partnerships to help us recycle plastic film, bags and wrap. As a result of these programs, we recycled more than 7 million pounds of plastic film, bags and wrap from shipping, store operations and customers in 2017 alone. 

Plastic Bag Recycling: In addition to our company recycling efforts, we want to make it easier for our customers to recycle as well. Shoppers can find a bright, green box at Kohl’s stores where they can drop plastic bags, shipping envelopes, air pillows, and product wrap. Customers may also bring our hangers back to the store any time, for recycling and reuse. To further this cause, our shopping bags are even made with sustainability in mind, as they contain 30-50 percent recycled, unbleached plastic – resulting in the gray colored bag customers receive when they shop at our stores.

Paperless Credit Statement: Since 2014, the company has issued more than 150 million electronic credit card statements to Kohl’s charge card holders. To date, more than a quarter of our credit statements are delivered electronically.

Beauty Products: Kohl’s stores recycle fragrance testers, nail polish, soaps, and other beauty products. Products are collected and recycled into useful items like paints for models, outdoor furniture, floor cleaners, and deodorizing sprays.

Fabric Scrap Recycling: In 2017, we built on our existing garment recycling program by recycling fabric scraps in our New York, Menomonee Falls, Wis. and Findlay, Ohio locations that handle fabric. In New York, associates sort scraps in one of two bags, one for regular scraps and another for proprietary materials. At our headquarters in Menomonee Falls, Wis. and in other corporate locations, associates place scraps into large purge boxes that are sorted at our distribution center in Findlay, Ohio.

Renewable Energy: Kohl’s hosts more than 200,000 solar panels on 163 rooftops around the country. Each system can provide between 20 and 50 percent of a store’s energy needs. We have also installed nine solar trees between two corporate buildings in Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Dallas, Tex.. In addition to solar, Kohl’s hosts two wind turbines at our Findlay, Ohio distribution center. 

Electric Vehicle Charging: Kohl’s is supportive of electric vehicle usage. In 2011, we started helping families play their part in lowering carbon emissions as we began providing electric vehicle charging stations in store and corporate parking lots. Accessibility to stations, whether while shopping or at work, creates a convenient and easy experience for customers and associates while we support environmentally-friendly behavior.

Our network of stations is currently in 22 states. At this time, we have 206 charging stations at 94 locations. Customers and associates can find stations through independent mobile apps for electric-vehicle drivers or on Kohls.com in the store locator section.

Transportation - Domestic Carriers: Kohl’s uses SmartWay tools to measure our domestic road transportation emissions footprint, and we report our transportation data annually to the EPA. Through careful planning and collaboration, we contributed to the elimination of 2.3 million miles of inefficient truck travel in 2017. Delivering cargo, trucks are often underutilized or even empty during return trips. Backhauling truck loads with cargo for their return trip ensures no miles traveled are wasted. The benefits to backhaul include reduced fuel costs, road miles, emissions, and congestion due to fewer empty trucks on the roads. Additionally, Kohl’s continues to support shipment by rail. This is a more economical way to move our products between our distribution centers and stores than shipping by road, and emits 75 percent less carbon emissions.

Transportation - International Carriers: Kohl’s engages its ocean carriers through its membership in the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Clean Cargo Working Group. This group’s membership includes more than 85 percent of the world’s ocean carriers, including 9 of 10 Kohl’s ocean carriers. Ninety-seven percent of carriers transporting Kohl’s merchandise travels on a BSR cargo ship.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): We use the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building program rating systems to guide the design, construction and operation of our stores. Our expansive LEED® portfolio across the country stands as a testament to the steps we have taken to reduce our environmental impact and provide customers with a positive and healthy shopping environment. There are three LEED® rating systems that Kohl’s leverages across our building portfolio: LEED® Building Design and Construction, LEED® Building Operations and Maintenance, and LEED® Interior Design and Construction.

Energy Efficiency: We have been working with the EPA ENERGY STAR program since 1998. ENERGY STAR provides Kohl’s with tools and technical information to help save money and protect the climate through improved energy efficiency. Our participation in this program helps us assess the performance of our buildings and set goals to improve energy efficiency. Using the ENERGY STAR scoring system, buildings are rated on a scale of one to 100. A score of 75 or higher achieves ENERGY STAR certification, indicating that the building is among the top 25 percent of retail stores in the country for energy efficiency. Eighty-eight percent of our stores are ENERGY STAR certified, including 14 stores certified in 2017.

Water Conservation: We invest in appliances, equipment and processes to help conserve this precious resource. Our stores feature efficient low-flow faucets and new stores have low-flow toilets. Together, these measures are helping to reduce indoor water usage by 20-30 percent, compared to the baseline, which was based on the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and 2005. We are working to install smart irrigation controllers that use live weather data to inform irrigation schedules and reduce outdoor water usage. We are also exploring strategies to utilize native vegetation and drought-resistant plants to significantly reduce or even eliminate the need for irrigation altogether.

We seek to prevent, eliminate, and reduce the use of chemicals in our products, phase out chemicals of concern and improve the overall chemical management in our operations.

Our efforts include:

Vendors:

• Vendor partners warrant and represent to Kohl's that all products are free from any harmful or toxic substances and were produced, processed, manufactured, and tested in full compliance with all applicable laws, including but not limited to, the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the Flammable Fabrics Act,  the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and California Proposition 65. 
• For our private label and direct import products, Kohl’s maintains a detailed Restricted Substance List (RSL). Our product specification documents include chemical requirements, and increasingly rigorous assurances and testing of products are required based upon the level of risk.  Further, we look to partner with suppliers to identify opportunities to transition to preferred chemicals.  As part of our regular audit program, we monitor factories to assure adherence to our RSL as well as our Terms of Engagement, which specifies safety procedures, and require improvements when we find gaps.  Kohl’s also provides training to help factories improve their chemical management, including understanding risk and the importance of taking proper precautions. The RSL is in addition to, not in lieu of, all applicable laws, and applies to all raw materials, component parts, chemicals, packaging and other items related to the products.
• Kohl’s provides our vendor partners access to our chemical management documents, tools and RSL via our vendor portal.

Operations:

• Through our comprehensive recycling programs, we partner with the most qualified vendors and recyclers, holding them to the highest industry standards to ensure products and materials are reused, recycled or disposed of at the end of life and that chemical risks are managed properly. 
• Within our corporate, retail, and distribution operations, Kohl’s actively reviews opportunities to reduce the use of chemicals.  Whenever possible, we work to identify and transition to safer alternatives.

In addition, to the actions described above we continue to look for other areas of opportunities in our chemical sustainability efforts.

Contact / Questions:legal@kohls.com

Energy Goal: As a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, Kohl’s set a goal to reduce energy use by at least 20 percent across 112 million square feet of our occupied building space by 2020, against a 2008 baseline. We are working toward this goal through a combination of sustainable building and maintenance practices. At the end of 2016, we had achieved an 18 percent reduction in energy usage from a 2008 baseline.

Recycling Goal: In 2017, a recycling rate of more than 83 percent was achieved across our operations, moving closer to our goal of 85 percent.

Kohl’s is committed to providing healthy and engaging environments for our customers and associates. By seeking solutions that encourage long-term sustainability, we try to leave a smaller footprint. The steps we have taken and continue to take – both big and small – help us drive results as we strive to create a more sustainable tomorrow.

2007

• First solar panels installed

2008

• Kohl's began using the LEED Building Design and Construction prototype

2010

• Kohl's achieved carbon neutral status

2011

• Installed first wave of electric vehicle charging stations
• Founding member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition

2014

• Developed partnerships to help Kohl's recycle plastic film, bags and wrap
• Launched paperless billing

2015

• Signed the American Business Act Pledge on Climate Change

2016

• Achieved an 18 percent reduction in energy usage from a 2008 baseline
• 100 percent of miles Kohl's merchandise traveled domestically in 2016 was with SmartWay members

2017

• 130 Kohl’s stores retrofitted with LED lighting, anticipating a 38 million kilowatt-hour reduction in energy consumption
• HVAC system replaced with new more efficient models in 82 Kohl’s stores