Marketing & Communications Circular Economy Innovation & Technology

New Target Collection Answers Increased Consumer Demand for Products That Reduce Waste

The ‘Target Zero’ collection features products and packaging designed to be refillable, reusable or compostable; made from recycled content; or made from materials that reduce the use of plastic.

Published 2 years ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: PLUS/Target

Today, Target Corporation launches Target Zero — a new initiative that responds to growing guest interest in products that help reduce waste.

Guests will now see a Target Zero icon in stores and online that will signal products and packaging designed to be refillable, reusable or compostable; made from recycled content; or made from materials that reduce the use of plastic. Hundreds of new and existing products from guest-favorite brands across Target’s Beauty, Personal Care and Household Essentials categories will be among the first in the Target Zero collection, with plans to expand the assortment in the future.

Target Zero advances key commitments made through Target Forward — Target’s sustainability strategy that aims to co-create an equitable and sustainable future with its guests, partners and communities — and includes ambitions to design and elevate purpose-driven brands and innovate to eliminate waste. The initiative uses Target’s size, scale and resources to curate a one-of-a-kind assortment that drives innovation and progress to reduce waste.

The Target Zero initiative is part of new wave of engagement efforts by brands and retailers, aimed at both satisfying growing demand for better products and nudging ambivalent consumers toward more sustainable shopping habits.

Circularity by Design: How to Influence Sustainable Consumer Behaviors

Join us Thursday, December 5, at 1pm ET for a free webinar on making circular behaviors the easy choice! Nudge & behavioral design expert Sille Krukow will explore the power of Consumer Behavior Design to drive circular decision-making and encourage behaviors including recycling and using take-back services. She will share key insights on consumer psychology, behavior design related to in-store and on-pack experiences, and how small changes in the environment can help make it easy for consumers to choose circularity.

Tell me more!

“Target Zero unlocks important progress toward our Target Forward ambitions, each of which require collaboration from our partners and action from our guests to be realized,” said Amanda Nusz, Target’s SVP of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation. “By making it easier for our guests to identify which products are designed to reduce waste, Target Zero helps them make informed decisions about what they purchase and advances a collective impact across our brand partners, our product shelves, and within our homes and communities.”

In-store and digital experience

With Target Zero, Target is further honing its offering to appeal to the growing segment of discerning consumers that shop with their values — and joins fellow retailers including Amazon and Thrive Market in allowing shoppers to filter their product searches with a range of environmental and social criteria; and Loop, which appeals specifically to shoppers seeking alternatives to product.

The Target Zero icon will be seen by guests on shelves in-store, and in a dedicated section of target.com. Hundreds of products from brands including Burt’s Bees, PLUS, Pacifica and more are among the first to be featured. Select products from Grove Co. and Target’s owned brand, Everspring, will join the collection beginning in April.

“We can’t wait to introduce our guests to Target Zero because we recognize their growing calls to find products that fit within their lifestyle, designed with sustainability in mind,” said EVP and chief merchandising officer Jill Sando. “Our aim with Target Zero is to keep delivering on their needs through our ever-evolving product assortment, as well as to give brands investing in reduced waste products and packaging an opportunity to have those products highlighted by Target.”

The Target Zero assortment highlights leading brands and innovations driving progress toward zero-waste solutions. Example innovations from the first cohort of Target Zero products include a new, exclusive-to-Target packaging from Burt’s Bees that uses plastic-free, recyclable metal tins for its lip balms; and products from PLUS such as a first-of-its-kind body wash that eliminates excess water and waste in the form of a dehydrated, dissolvable square that transforms when you add water.

Target Forward in action

Target hopes Target Zero will help drive progress toward its overarching sustainability goals — including being the market leader for creating and curating inclusive, sustainable brands and experiences by 2030; and to have 100 percent of its owned-brand plastic packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.

Target Zero also marks one of the first initiatives engaging Target brand partners in Target Forward. The retailer worked with existing national brand partners and owned brands to identify products that meet specific requirements to be a part of the program’s first cohort. Target says it will continue to work with its partners to expand the assortment with additional products meeting the Target Zero criteria.