Sustainable Retailers Scorecard 2019 and Plastic Packaging in Southeast Asia and China

As the global population continues to grow, so too does global consumption. This growth also equates to increased consumer demand, which drives the retail industry. Even though the retail industry is a major contributor to economic growth, it is also highly resource-intensive, drawing heavily on energy, water and natural reserves. As an intermediary between manufacturers and consumers, retailers are uniquely placed in mainstream sustainability. They play a crucial role in influencing consumer behaviour and have the purchasing power to move supply-chains to be more sustainable.

In order to analyse the current state of sustainability in the retail market, WWF-Malaysia embarked on a study to evaluate the performance of the Malaysian retail market, in the form of a Sustainable Retailers Scorecard. The Scorecard, designed to evaluate the environmental performance, sustainability policies, practices and efforts of the top retailers in the country, is the first of its kind for Malaysia. A total of 18 major retailers in Malaysia were selected to participate in the Scorecard, and out of these seven retailers responded. We would like to applaud and commend these retailers for their willingness to be transparent on their sustainability efforts.

The world is at a critical stage on the journey to sustainability. Although more major corporations and brands are well on the path to sustainability, there are companies which have yet to start. That needs to change. We urge you to read the report and use it as a guide to start your journey to sustainability. For consumers, we also call on you to use the information in the Scorecard to see how your preferred retailers are scoring on sustainability, and demand those that are falling behind to step up.

Together with the launch of the Sustainable Retailers Scorecard 2019, WWF is also releasing a multi-country report on plastic packaging entitled 'Plastic Packaging in Southeast Asia and China'. While plastic pollution is a global problem, studies show that Southeast Asia and China are key to addressing the global plastic emergency. More worrying is the fact that around 60% of plastic debris entering the ocean comes from only six countries. To further understand the gravity of the problem on a more granular level, this report details out the volume of plastic packaging placed on the market by packaging type and application.

Please find further information in the reports available for download below, thank you.

Sustainable Retailers Scorecard 2019 and Plastic Packaging in Southeast Asia and China

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