Walmart

Walmart is the second largest retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, yet does not have an electronics recycling and take-back strategy.

The aim is of our engagement is to encourage Walmart to develop electronics recycling policies matching Best Buy's.

Following engagement with As You Sow, Best Buy successfully adopted expanded recycling policies and began to provide take-back for consumer electronics in all U.S. stores. Best Buy's actions have kept at least 180 million pounds of electronics out of landfills in the last three years.

After four years of attempted dialogue, Walmart has not even acknowledged undertaking a substantive pilot program to test in-store take-back of e-waste.

Due to the lack of responsiveness, As You Sow filed a shareholder proposal for 2013 asking the company to further explore adopting a take-back program. The proposal was withdrawn in March 2013 after the company agreed to resume substantive meetings with shareholder proponents on in-store waste take-back and recycling.

Read more about our engagements with Walmart below.

Consumer Packaging 2013

STATUS: dialogue

As You Sow engaged in dialogue with Walmart, pressing the company to adopt extended producer responsibility policies to help minimize waste from consumer packaging.

Related 2013 Engagements

Electronic Waste 2013

STATUS: Withdrawn; Company will address

Walmart is the second largest U.S. retailer of consumer electronics, and such devices contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, brominated flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride, and are difficult to recycle.

Filing Documents

Related 2013 Engagements