Our operations
By doing the right thing, we can reduce the environmental impact of our operations and be an agent of positive change to protect the natural heritage of future generations.
Waste management
We are committed to significantly reducing the quantity of waste generated by our operations sent to landfills. To that end, we have implemented several concrete recovery and recycling measures for cardboard, paper, plastic, dry building materials, metal, styrofoam, organic material and hazardous waste.
Energy efficiency
We can take direct action on our energy use—and we are doing so. For the last several years, we have been investing in the implementation of technologies that help us improve our energy efficiency. Our Lowe's stores are all equipped with energy management systems to optimize energy use. Our goal is to install these systems in all our other corporate stores. We are also gradually replacing lighting systems with LED lighting in our corporate stores and distribution centers. We expect these measures to reduce our building energy consumption by close to 15%. As for transport, we are optimizing the routes taken by our fleet of trucks and contributing to electrification efforts, with electric vehicle charging stations at some of our stores and at our head office.
Product recovery program
All of our corporate stores recover customers' products that would be hazardous to the environment if they were sent in landfills at the end of their useful life: compact fluorescent light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, batteries, paint, blades, and power tool bit holders. Our partners ÉcoPeinture, Product Care, Call2Recycle, and Exchange-A-Blade then dispose of the products safely or give them a second life. In addition, we are proud to be the retailer that recovers the largest number of batteries in Québec and that offers the highest number of paint collection points in Canada. In 2018, we recovered no fewer than 3,061 tons of paint in our corporate locations alone, to say nothing of the 104 tons of batteries and 117 tons of bulbs that our partnerships stopped from going to landfills. Lowe’s Canada was even awarded a seventh Leader in sustainability award by Call2Recycle to recognize its commitment toward battery recycling in 2018.
Charges for plastic bags
Each year, Canadian consumers who visit our stores across the country leave with millions of plastic bags. To encourage them to change their shopping habits, our corporate stores are now charging for single-use plastic bags. All profits generated by this initiative will be donated to Nature Conservancy of Canada to fund conservation projects across the country.