Environmental Sustainability

Kohl’s will pilot electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at 33 stores nationwide. Each participating Kohl’s store will have one to four parking spaces reserved for EV drivers to charge at no cost while they shop.

Starbucks is just about ready to open a new drive-through and walk-up only store in the Seattle area that's made almost entirely of four reused shipping containers. The containers used in the construction transport the coffeehouse giant’s tea and coffee from abroad.

Kohl’s, Supervalu and Walgreens were among dozens of companies that joined President Obama and former President Bill Clinton this week announcing nearly $4 billion in federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next two years.

Ikea announced plans to install solar energy panels on 10 additional store locations, its entire presence in the southern United States. Pending governmental permits, installation will begin this winter, with completion expected in summer 2012.

Ikea — which uses 10 million pallets to ship products from suppliers to 287 stores worldwide — says it's replacing wooden pallets with a paper cardboard variation that's lighter and cheaper.

Apparel brands including Timberland and North Face are adopting a fabric for green clothing made from a composite fiber used to make yarn that is made from coffee grounds and plastic bottles.

A protested Wal-Mart development in Toms River, N.J. will destroy habitat for the threatened northern pine snake, despite the fact that it already has a store in town — it's just a mile down the road and will be closed when the new supercenter opens.

Amazon.com and Wal-Mart are prodding more manufacturers to change their packaging to cut waste and alleviate “wrap rage,” the frustration felt when a product is difficult to open. The retailers have been pushing vendors to eliminate excessive and cumbersome packing materials, such as hard plastic clamshell casings that enclose electronics and wire ties used to secure toys to cardboard backings.

German sport lifestyle brand PUMA is planning to build on the success of its eco-friendly sustainable packaging and recycled shoes by producing clothes and trainers that are compostable.

Best Buy is implementing a new automated energy management system in all of its 1,150 stores, which is projected to cut energy costs by 15 percent in three years. By Jan. 31 the system will be installed in 300 stores with the remaining stores nationwide to come onboard by the middle of next year, the company announced.