MACY’S FURTHERS ITS COMMITMENT TO CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN HONOR OF EARTH MONTH

by John Russel Jones Apr 04, 2023

This April, Macy’s spotlights its commitments and initiatives aimed at creating a more sustainable future in honor of Earth Month. Through its social purpose platform, Mission Every One, Macy’s has focused efforts on embedding sustainability and environmental stewardship across its enterprise, helping to create a world where people and the planet thrive together. In support of this initiative, Macy’s will launch an in-store round-up and online donation campaign to benefit Trust for Public Land. Funds raised will support projects that help transform asphalt schoolyards into vibrant green spaces to help create healthy, livable communities for the public. Additionally, an expanded selection of sustainable products, including from Macy’s private brands, will be highlighted on macys.com, providing customers with easily accessible options that meet their needs.

ABOVE: Photo by Pixabay.

“At Macy’s, we are committed to integrating sustainability into our work year-round. In honor of Earth Month, Macy’s continues its journey towards achieving our sustainability goals by prioritizing the use of sustainably sourced materials and increased transparency into the practices of our private brands managed by Macy’s sourcing team, among others” said Keelin Evans, vice president of sustainability at Macy’s, Inc. “Through our partnership with Trust for Public Land, Macy’s has the opportunity to deepen its environmental stewardship initiatives, with our customers and colleagues helping raise awareness and providing critical funding for projects that strengthen communities and climate resiliency while increasing green spaces for future generations to enjoy.”

Sun + Stone, Men’s Regular-Fit Full-Zip Sherpa Hoodie, $55, just one of the many sustainably-sourced menswear products available at Macy’s.

As the company continues to amplify sustainability across its brand and operations, Macy’s ambition is to make sustainable style easily accessible to customers, increase the use of sustainably sourced materials, advance worker’s rights, set emissions reduction targets, and invest in circular innovations.

Sun + Stone, Men’s Nep Crew T-Shirt, $18, just one of the many sustainably-sourced menswear products available at Macy’s.

Community Give-Back

In celebration of Earth Month, Macy’s continues its partnership with Trust for Public Land, a national organization that works to create parks and protect public land for the benefit of communities and future generations.

 Between April 1st to 30th, Macy’s and Trust for Public Land will celebrate sustainability and the stewardship of greenspaces by hosting a charitable donation campaign. Funding will support Trust of Public Land’s Community Schoolyards Initiative, which helps transform asphalt schoolyards into vibrant green spaces. Throughout the month, customers can donate online or round up their in-store purchase amount and donate the extra change, up to $0.99, to Trust for Public Land. In 2022, Macy’s customers and colleagues raised nearly $1.5 million for Trust for Public Land, supporting the revitalization of schoolyards for students and communities.

“Transforming schoolyards is a cost-effective, multi-benefit solution for improving health, learning, and climate resilience for underserved communities and students across the U.S. This model has been tested in dozens of school districts with tremendous success and we are excited to continue this mission with Macy’s,” said Danielle Denk, National Schoolyards Director with Trust for Public Land. “Trust for Public Land is proud to partner again with Macy’s to help support this initiative and get more people across the country connected to the outdoors.”

Sustainable product spotlight

Part of Macy’s sustainable product spotlight, INC International Concepts, Men’s Classic-Fit Crushed Velvet Button-Down Shirt, $49.50.

Through its company-wide focus on sustainability, Macy’s is committed to ensuring its private brand products managed by Macy’s sourcing team are both sourced and created with sustainable materials and production practices, with the goal of achieving 100 percent preferred materials in those private brand products by 2030.

During Earth Month sustainable products from Macy’s private brands, among others, will be highlighted in-store and online via macys.com, in marketing, and on Macy’s social channels.

 Highlights of sustainable product from Macy’s private brands include:

  • INC International Concepts, features an array of key wardrobe staples such as dresses, skirts, shirts, pants, jackets, and jewelry for men and women.
  • Hotel Collection, features an expansive range of bedding, pillows, throws, duvets, bath towels, and more.
  • Macy’s Lab-Grown Jewelry, featuring responsibly sourced sapphires, diamonds, and opals, among other precious stones.
  • Oake, a mindfully made brand featuring modern bedding, decorative pillows, throws, glassware, dinnerware, and more. 

Additionally, brands that meet Macy’s certification requirements including Adidas, DIOR, Franco Sarto, Levi’s, PYT Beauty, and more – will highlight select sustainable product throughout the month.

 Partners for a Sustainable Future

This year, Macy’s, Inc. formed a strategic partnership with World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) to identify and take meaningful actions toward achieving its water goals. Through the partnership, Macy’s, Inc. And WWF will conduct water risk assessments to analyze the water risks and impacts within the company’s supply chain, develop global water stewardship strategy, and establish a pathway for advancing water stewardship efforts.

Macy’s will help fund the National Youth Leadership Council and support the newly opened Tampa Basecamp in partnership with Roots & Shoots, a program founded by Jane Goodall that empowers young people to create a better world for humans, other animals, and our shared environment.

This past March, Macy’s partnered with the City College of San Francisco to host the UpStyle Academy design and merchandising challenge. With a focus on sustainability and upcycling, students collaborated to create innovative displays, with winning students receiving scholarships as part of a grant provided by Macy’s. Plans are currently underway to launch the second UpStyle Academy competition, with applications opening this month.

Throughout 2023, students from the University of Delaware will be asked to help solve the challenges of recycled content in textiles through a grant from Macy’s. During the project, Macy’s colleagues will meet with students to provide invaluable industry insight and learning opportunities. In addition to scholarships, the University of Delaware will use this funding to visit New York City and present their projects, results and findings to Macy’s leadership.

 Additional support is provided to organizations including the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a nonprofit that aims to build and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders; Good360, an organization that partners with corporations to source essential goods and distribute them to nonprofits and people in need; Reimagining Industry to Support Equality (RISE) (formerly HERProject) and Fashion Makes Change, where Macy’s will support programming that expands scalable ESG solutions for the fashion industry, with a particular focus on women’s empowerment and education.

As part of Earth Month celebrations, colleagues will have the opportunity to participate in a Mission Every One sustainability panel conversation featuring Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s leadership; Macy’s environmental colleague resource group (CRG), Go Green, will host an interview with RISE; a Lunch and Learn hosted by International Paper, one of Macy’s corrugated cardboard recycling partners; and a series of volunteer events hosted by Trust for Public Land and Central Park Conservancy.

 For more information on Macy’s sustainability efforts visit macysinc.com/purpose and to shop the collections visit macys.com/purpose.