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      Environmental sustainability

      Taking bold moves to reduce our impact on the planet

      Three CVS Green Team members standing on a rock

      Our sustainability strategy

      At CVS Health®, we know that the health of the environment impacts the people and communities we serve. So we’re putting in place innovative sustainability solutions that can help improve health equity and reduce the resources we consume and the waste we generate.

      Three sustainability accomplishments in 2021

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      70%

      Percent reduction in paper use due to phasing out print circulars

      CVS Green Team recycle bins

      33.5K MWh

      Amount of energy saved through efficiency programs

      50%

      Percentage of all waste diverted to recycling or reuse

      How we’re making an impact

      A father dressing his young child

      We’re striving to reduce the use of plastic materials and ensure recyclability for all product packages used by our exclusive retail brands. In 2021, we joined forces with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to complete an audit of the plastic packaging we use.

       

      We piloted an aluminum prescription bottle program at one pharmacy location. This trial will inform ongoing efforts to create innovative and sustainable solutions.

       

      We also participated in and invested $5 million in the Beyond the Bag pilot initiative aimed at addressing the single-use plastic bag problem.

       

      And we’re optimizing digital solutions to reduce our paper usage — resulting in 7.3 million ExtraCare® members enrolling in digital receipts as of 2021. 

      A CVS Green Team event

      While we’re not historically a large consumer of water, we recognize the close link between water usage and climate change. So we established policies and programs to govern our water usage and manage related risks across our businesses.

       

      Additionally, we have plans in place to reduce the amount of waste generated across our enterprise. That includes liquidation, donation and recycling of unsalable products.

      Find details in our ESG report

      Two women sitting at a table with vitamins

      We’re actively seeking ways to minimize waste across our supply chain.

       

      In our facilities and distribution centers, we’re working with suppliers to reduce unnecessary packaging materials.

       

      And we’re installing charging stations to power electric transport refrigeration units (TRUs) at our distribution centers. This paves the way for other programs that reduce idle time and carbon emissions in our facilities.

      Find details in our ESG report