We are dedicated to working for our planet as a team because we all share the same playing fields, waterways, parks and public lands. We have a duty to operate responsibly by minimizing our environmental footprint so that our teammates, athletes and their communities can thrive.

DICK’S has worked for years to reduce our climate impact, reduce waste and increase recycling. In 2020, we’re taking an important step in our sustainability journey by committing to eliminate single-use, point-of-sale plastic bags in all our stores by 2025. By discontinuing single-use plastic bags, we could avoid the use of approximately 16,0000 pounds of plastic per store annually.

Pond beside field and patio

OUR GOALS

Eliminate single-use, point of sale plastic bags in all stores by 2025

Attain 100% participation of
vertical brands in the

higg facility environmental module

Audit by 2025

OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

We reported our first greenhouse emissions (GHG) inventory in our 2018 report and we’ve learned a lot since last year. We have expanded to tracking our GHG emissions associated with refrigerants in Scope 1 and transmission and distribution losses, water, and waste in Scope 3 to have a fuller picture of our footprint. We are pleased to report that even with the inclusion of additional inputs and square footage, our footprint saw a reduction of 22% in our GHG emissions due primarily to equipment upgrades and lighting efficiency projects.

Table showing prjected reduction of carbon footprint

REDUCING PLASTIC

As a consumer-driven business, we know that we have an opportunity to get our products to our athletes more efficiently and with less waste. While we are still investigating the best alternatives, weighing athlete satisfaction against performance and the lifecycle impacts of each potential solution, this goal represents a commitment by DICK’S to contribute in a significant way to the reduction of plastics in the waste stream.

REDUCING WASTE

Our waste reduction efforts work in tandem with our increased recycling efforts as our facilities continue their journey toward eliminating as much waste as possible. We know that recycling is one of the most effective ways to divert waste from landfills, and our stores, distribution centers, and headquarters have been implementing and maintaining robust recycling practices where we can. We have a policy to reuse hangers in-store, return them to vendors for reuse, or recycle them at our distribution centers. These efforts have helped us maintain a waste diversion rate of 68% even as our operations continue to grow. In 2019, 41,508 tons of material were recycled, and 20,004 tons were sent to landfill, representing a 56% improvement since 2014.

REDUCING PACKAGING

As a retailer, we recognize our responsibility to reduce the amount of materials used to package our products, and we continuously explore new ways to reduce the environmental impacts of sales to our athletes.

CONSERVING WATER

We have used low flow technologies since 2007. Our prototype and spec documentation dates back to 2014 with fixtures meeting EPA WaterSense criteria and implementing xeriscaping where we can to reduce water

INVESTING IN GREEN BUILDING

We have adopted the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® certification within our building design strategies, with our Goodyear, Ariz., distribution center and our Customer Service Center in Pittsburgh being the first two buildings to achieve LEED® Silver certification. At the same time, we have modified our specifications for construction of new stores, with LED lighting and other sustainability attributes included as standard. We take a comprehensive approach to the environmental excellence of our buildings, with features including high - efficiency HVAC systems, skylights, white roofs, low - flow water fixtures, water - saving landscaping and more.

Yeti Water Bottles

WE HAVE AVERTED THE USE OF 42,021 POUNDS OF PLASTIC BOTTLES

Pond beside patio
People camping

MAXIMIZING LIGHTING EFFICIENCY

With more than 800 stores in 47 states, we have an opportunity and obligation to operate efficiently and reduce our energy use. Our total in-store electricity usage, measured in kWh per square foot, has gone done every year since we began tracking in 2015, with a 7.2% reduction in 2019 over the previous year.

84%

For example, we have replaced the main sales floor lighting in approximately 84 percent our stores with LEDs, and made additional LED upgrades in security, parking and other supplemental lighting in many of these stores.

22%

We completed over 200 LED retrofits in 2019 that reduced energy consumption in those stores by 22 percent.