how green is the red bullseye?

Having just moved into a new place, my roommates have been making frequent trips to Target for this and that. I always talk about sustainable living, but I'm really learning now the things that are simple (conserving energy and water) and those that are not-so-easy (buying organic food etc.) Target is a broke college student's shopping heaven, but while I was in that red store, I kept thinking, how green is this place?

The better world shopper guide grades Target at a C+ for social and environmental responsibility. But there is no detailed explanation of where the company fails or succeeds at achieving green goals. Co-op America rates the company poorly, citing among other things that "As a big box retail store, Target contributes to environmental and community degradation and sprawl," and "is the subject of repeated allegations of sweatshop sourcing worldwide." Yet according to the Target Corporation website,

"[Target] recognize[s] that we have a responsibility—as team members, as a company, and as global citizens—to minimize our environmental footprint. So we've sought ways to reduce waste, use energy more efficiently, and operate more sustainably. We're proud of our accomplishments and we're continually improving, one store at a time."

The thing is, whether or not Target is true-blue-green or brown-tinted, most college students can't really afford to shop anywhere else for housewares. So if we're going to shop at Target anyway, despite unclear ratings, how do we do it in the greenest way possible?

1) buy the green products


Target online has an entire section devoted to eco-friendly products, and carries known green brands such as Seventh Generation and Method.

2) be skeptical

Reusable shopping bags are among the products on the eco-friendly list. Yet, nowhere in the product descriptions for the bags could I find whether the bags are made from recycled or even organic materials. So it's important to look for details about the "green" products listed, and to know the brands that are good/bad before going in. (This is where the better world shopping guide pocket-sized book comes in handy. More info on greenwashing.)

2) Bring Your Own Bags (BYOB)

Unlike grocery stores that sell cheap reusable bags (made from recycled materials) by the counter and give a discount for those who BYOB, Target has no such policy. Furthermore, they use only plastic bags at the register, and though these bags have clever tips for reuse, quitting plastic is best. So it's important to BYOB. (And check out the Center for a New American Dream's C^3 campaign which includes an entire blog page for BYOB.)

3) Ask when returning a defective item

I returned a set of Gladware that was missing a piece, and the lady at the register told me that it would most likely be thrown away as a defective item. I thought, this is ridiculous! But I had already finished the transaction so that was that. Ask when returning items where they will go - if it's something perfectly good that will be thrown away, I'd say to ask about donating it.