by Thomas Miner

The leading U.S.-based electronics retailer released their fiscal 2010 sustainability report this week, in which the company sets a new ambitious 5 year goal – to collect over 1 billion pounds of consumer produced electronic waste through its take-back program in the next five years. Best Buy set this goal in response to the fact that consumer electronics are one of the fastest growing waste streams worldwide, and often shipped overseas for disposal, where they can create numerous environmental problems. The company provides in-store recycling kiosks, online trade-in and home pick up options for consumers to recycle their e-waste. In 2010, the company diverted over 140 million pounds of e-waste from the landfill. Other report highlights include:

- CO2 emissions from U.S. store operations fell to 51.6 pounds per square foot – a 15 percent reduction from the company’s 2005 baseline

- Compliance with Best Buy’s supplier code of conduct improved by 43 percent over fiscal year 2009, with only 20 violations this year (62 in 2009).

- The Best Buy U.S. corporate campus received the 2009 Recycler of the Year Award from the Recycling Association of Minnesota for our efforts creating a recycling and composting program in the restrooms and cafeteria.

Best Buy also boasted a 75 percent retention rate (number of employees who have been with the company for one year), a 9 percent improvement over 2009. Some of this gain could be attributed to employee perception of company commitment to their sustainability initiatives. Reprinted with permission from Sustainable Life Media