Planet
Our Future
We only have one planet. We’re doing our part to keep it healthy by continuously reducing our impact on the environment.
Emissions
As part of SanMar’s commitment to sustainability, we are taking steps to reduce emissions in our facilities, our products and supply chain.
Science-Based Targets
SanMar signed on to the Science Based Targets initiative in 2021 to set an ambitious, company-wide target to cut carbon emissions in line with climate science, and had our target approved in 2022. In pursuit of our target, we are looking at ways to reduce our emissions, including at our facilities.
In 2024 we kicked off projects to install LED lighting and solar panels at our warehouses. Once completed, the solar panels on two warehouses will provide the equivalent annual energy use of roughly 270 homes.
Energy and Water
Tracking our energy and water usage year-over-year enables us to see where we can improve and informs future projects.
Energy Use
Since we began tracking and reporting on our energy use, several initiatives have been implemented, including smart LED lighting in our warehouses and efficiency improvements to the HVAC system in our home office. In 2024, our energy intensity decreased from 2023 levels.
Water Use
Our water usage has been variable. We strive to reduce domestic water use by installing water-efficient fixtures, monitoring devices for early leak detection and water-efficient landscaping.
Waste Reduction
In 2024, the Puget Sound Business Journal recognized SanMar at the inaugural Environmental & Sustainability Awards for our waste reduction efforts at our facilities and in our supply chain.
Over the years we have implemented several initiatives to reduce and keep waste out of landfill.
- Reusing boxes and pallets throughout our distribution network
- Recycling unusable boxes at all warehouses
- Recycling electronics and waste at all offices and warehouses
- Empowering employees to recycle textiles and plastic film, a program started by employees at our corporate headquarters
Circularity
A circular product cycle transforms the traditional process of “take-make-waste” into a system that leverages the highest and best use of materials. We’re committed to finding circular product solutions to reduce the total impact of our products.
We are exploring ways to keep textile waste out of landfill at each stage of the supply chain by:
- Developing styles made with recycled content and utilizing our own manufacturing waste wherever possible.
- Collecting recyclable textiles at our office to keep them out of landfill.
- Engaging with industry initiatives such as Accelerating Circularity to support creation of circular systems, as a part of their collaborative effort to accelerate the textile industry’s move from linear to circular product development cycles.
- Creating the Textile Waste Decision Tree to help our customers and end-users determine how to recycle or dispose of products in a responsible way.
“SanMar is in a unique position to make environmental progress. Being a family-owned, vertically-integrated business enables us to move quickly and decisively to make investments that not only reduce our impact, but make good business sense.”
Paul Whyatt
Chief Financial Officer
