CVS partners with WWF for own brand packaging overhaul

CVS Health has announced a new collaboration with World Wildlife Fund and the group’s activation hub ReSource Plastic. The partnership aims to increase sustainable materials within its packaging portfolio, including its own brand assortment.

ReSource: Plastic works with its member companies to maximize, measure, and multiply their impact on solving the plastic pollution crisis. CVS joins a number of other companies and organizations in the effort, tieing in its ESG agenda.

In 2020, CVS Health tappped World Wildlife Fund audit its store brand packaging portfolio and launch new sustainable packaging goals with a focus on reducing use of plastic and virgin materials and ensuring recyclability for all of its own brand products.

“We believe that the health of all people is connected to the health of our planet,” said Brenda Lord, VP of store brands at CVS Health. “That’s why we’re committed to operating our business in a sustainable and environmentally-responsible way, especially through our portfolio of Store Brands products. Through World Wildlife Fund’s ReSource: Plastic initiative we will track, measure, and report on our impact as we work to deliver on our Healthy 2030 goals.”

Through its Healthy 2030 plan, CVS Health’s goals to create a healthier and more sustainable world include the following:

• Ensure all packaging for store brands products is 100% reusable, recyclable, compostable, is or can be returned for proper disposal at the end of life by 2030
• Reduce plastic use in operations by 50% by 2030
• Reduce single-use virgin plastic in store brand packaging by 50% by 2030
• Ensure all store brand paper-based packaging is from recycled or certified sustainably sourced content by 2025
• Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2023 and take measures to eliminate them by 2030

“Businesses have the potential to help change the trajectory of our global plastic waste crisis,” said Erin Simon, head of plastic waste and business, World Wildlife Fund. “By joining ReSource: Plastic, CVS Health has set the example for the retail industry – committing to transparent and measurable action. We’re excited to work together to identify goals and expand the scope of our ReSource work.”