Taking Action on Climate Change
Macy’s is dedicated to addressing the risks of climate change to our planet. In our Sustainability Report, we detail our process for reducing our carbon emissions, as well as monitoring and mitigating the risks to our operations and facilities, using the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations.
Renewable Energy
We host more than 100 active solar sites nationwide and approximately 61 million kWh of clean power was produced in 2021 from a combination of community solar and onsite solar installations, offsetting 43,230 metric tons of CO2e. We continue to actively evaluate future solar projects and renewable opportunities across the company.
Electric Vehicle Charging
To support our customers visiting our stores with a lower environmental impact, we have partnered with Volta Charging to offer free electric vehicle (EV) charging at 49 of our locations. In 2021, our stations delivered nearly 762 MWh of electricity, powering approximately 2.6 million electric miles and avoiding about 1,190,122 lbs of CO2 emissions.
Energy Use and GHG Emissions
We track our operational energy use and related Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Additionally, we calculate certain Scope 3 emissions for indirect procurement spend, including our Private Brand’s upstream product transportation and distribution. In November 2022, Macy’s, Inc. committed to set near-term company-wide emission reductions in line with climate science with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
| FY 2021 | Energy use (MWh) | Greenhouse gas emissions (mt CO2e) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct energy use (Scope 1) |
236,664 | 42,421 |
| Purchased electricity, heat and steam (Scope 2) |
1,219,190 | 426,362 |
| Private Brands upstream transportation and distribution (Scope 3) |
567,016 |
Scope 1 and 2 GHG Emissions
(metric ton CO2e)Energy Management
Energy efficiency is central to our strategy. We use both building automation systems and an enterprise-wide energy management information system to continually monitor our operating performance and to detect anomalies. We benchmark our energy management using the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager online tool to measure and track our energy consumption to industry standards. Portfolio Manager enables us to compare each building’s performance against a yearly baseline, national medians or similar buildings in our portfolio.
LED Energy Savings
Macy’s greatest opportunity for energy reduction continues to be our lighting. By the end of 2021, an additional 15 retail spaces were retrofitted leading to a reduction of about 5.2 million kWh or 2,249 metric tons of CO2e.
| Year | Retail Spaces Retrofitted Annually | Energy Reduction (kilowatt-hours in millions) | Energy Reduction (percent) | Carbon Reduction (metric tons)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 95 | 19.9 | 1% | 13,400 |
| 2011 | 287 | 58 | 4% | 41,000 |
| 2012 | 307 | 39.5 | 3% | 27,000 |
| 2013 | 260 | 7 | 0.5% | 4,950 |
| 2014 | 100 | 4.7 | 0.4% | 3,300 |
| 2015 | 260 | 8.2 | 0.7% | 5,800 |
| 2016 | 450 | 20.1 | 1.7% | 14,200 |
| 2017 | 660 | 18 | 1.7% | 12,700 |
| 2018 | 50 | 12.3 | 1.3% | 8,700 |
| 2019 | 133 | 29.9 | 3% | 21,000 |
| 2020 | 40 | 5.6 | 0.7% | 3,969 |
| 2021 | 15 | 5.2 | 0.6% | 2,249 |
*CO2e calculated using EPA emissions tool
Environmental Responsibility in our Supply Chain
At Macy’s, we’re improving our operations by investing in and implementing innovations that help reduce, reuse and repurpose materials. These efforts will eliminate waste and further transition Macy’s to being a more circular business.
Reduce
Samples
Aligned with Macy’s goal to reduce waste, Macy’s Private Brand team embraced technology to reduce the number of physical samples required from suppliers – significantly reducing textile waste. As a benchmark, in 2019, only 5% of samples were digital. At the end of the 2022 development season, 61% of all samples were made digitally.
Packaging
Macy’s has adopted best practices to reduce packaging, including standardizing the size of packing cartons and minimizing packaging materials. We also use auto-boxer and auto-bagger machines that create packaging that perfectly fits odd or oversized items. This fit-to-size auto-boxing technology reduces box volume up to 50% by creating the smallest parcel needed at the lowest expense, which also helps reduce shipping costs.
Cardboard
All Macy’s cardboard used by our fulfillments centers is FSC certified and has recycled content of 35%.
Private Brand Labels
All care labels used in Macy’s Private Brands are made with 100% recycled polyester content. Most labels are made with FSC paper. Macy’s ambition is to reach 100% use of FSC paper.
Marketing
100% of Macy’s fliers sent to customers are made with 55% certified sustainably sourced materials. In-store visual materials used to market our Private Brands are made with FSC paper. In 2021, the visual team developed a program that reduced the number of shipments of visual product to store, further eliminating waste.
Reuse
Reverse Logistics
Our reverse logistics team is dedicated to ensuring that all of our products, even those that may be damaged or returned, are given the longest possible life and do not end up in landfill.
Give Back Box
As part of our commitment to reduce waste while investing in responsible materials and sustainable innovations and practices, we launched a partnership with Give Back Box in April 2022. The partnership enables customers to contribute to the responsible lifecycle of their clothes, toys and other pre-loved items by downloading a pre-paid shipping label from our website and sending them to be donated for resale and recycling.
Recycle
At Our Facilities
In our stores, corporate offices and distribution centers, our policy is to recycle as much material as possible, including cardboard, plastic film, hangers, metal fixtures and wooden pallets. We also have an internal program to reuse, refurbish or recycle store fixtures and downstream or recycle electronics.
B2D Recycling Program
Beginning in late 2021, the Macy’s beauty products team launched a pilot program to minimize environmental impact by shipping outdated collateral to a third-party to be recycled rather than disposing of it in-store. In Spring 2022, Macy’s began receiving reports on the pounds of collateral collected to be recycled. Based on these results, Macy’s plans to expand the program and will provide additional details in its future sustainability reports.