Target resets packaging ambitions after missing 2025 targets

US retailer Target has extended its packaging recyclability target to 2035 after falling significantly short of sustainability goals originally set for 2025.

The company now aims to make all owned-brand packaging recyclable by 2035, replacing its earlier commitment to ensure that 100% of its own-brand packaging was recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.

According to Target’s latest sustainability and governance report, only 41% of owned-brand packaging met those criteria at the end of fiscal 2025.

Recyclability progress stalled at 41%

Target had gradually improved the proportion of recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging across its private-label portfolio, but progress slowed substantially in recent years.

The figure stood at 39% in fiscal 2023 and reached 41% in 2024 before remaining unchanged in 2025.

The retailer says limitations in recycling infrastructure, material availability, regulation and affordability have made progress more difficult than anticipated when the original targets were established.

Virgin plastic reduction also falls short

Target had also committed to reducing virgin plastic use in owned-brand packaging by 20% compared with a 2020 baseline.

By 2025, the company had achieved a reduction of only 3%.

Target cited regulatory requirements, supply chain constraints, changes in measurement methodology and growth in both sales and owned-brand categories as factors affecting performance.

Plastic packaging weight continues to decline

Despite missing its broader targets, Target has reduced the absolute weight of plastic packaging used across its owned-brand portfolio.

Total plastic packaging fell from approximately 69,632 metric tons in fiscal 2023 to 63,044 tons in 2024 and 60,233 tons in 2025.

Lightweighting and structural redesign have been key contributors to this reduction.

Redesign removes more than 277,000 pounds of plastic

One example highlighted by Target involves its Spritz party supplies range.

In 2025, the retailer redesigned structural packaging across the brand and removed shrink film and decorative plastic components, eliminating approximately 277,000 pounds of plastic packaging.

The project demonstrates how material reduction can deliver measurable savings even when broader portfolio-wide recyclability targets remain difficult to achieve.

Carbon black removed from PET food trays

Target also changed PET trays used for bakery, deli, cracker-cut cheese and fresh mushroom products sold under its own food brands.

The company removed carbon black colorant from these formats, making around 431,000 pounds of packaging more compatible with existing recycling systems.

Dark pigments can interfere with optical sorting technologies used at material recovery facilities, meaning apparently small design changes can significantly influence real-world recyclability.

PCR use remains a major challenge

Progress on post-consumer recycled plastic has been less consistent.

Target used approximately 5,627 metric tons of PCR in 2025, representing around 9% of plastic used across owned-brand packaging.

This was down from 10% in 2024, illustrating the continuing challenges around recycled-material supply, food-contact requirements and cost.

Refill portfolio continues to expand

Alongside recycling and material reduction, Target is expanding refillable formats.

The retailer now offers around 280 refillable products across beauty and household essentials, including concentrated cleaning products under its Everspring brand.

These initiatives form part of a broader strategy that combines packaging reduction, recycling compatibility, recycled content and reuse rather than relying on a single sustainability approach.

2035 targets reflect a broader industry reset

Target is not alone in revising packaging sustainability commitments established earlier in the decade.

Several major consumer brands and retailers have extended or reformulated targets after discovering that recycling infrastructure, recycled-material availability and commercial constraints make some original 2025 commitments difficult to achieve.

The new 2035 target therefore reflects a broader shift towards longer-term packaging goals based on measurable progress and real-world recycling conditions rather than ambitious deadlines that cannot be consistently delivered.