The NRF Center for Retail Sustainability is the industry’s hub designed to support retailers’ efforts to generate economic value while creating net positive environmental, social and community benefits.
The Center highlights industry efforts, provides tools and resources for NRF members and facilitates engagement across retail value chains to make it easier for consumers to find high-quality, affordable and more sustainable products.
For more information on how to participate in the work of the Center or other related inquiries, contact sustainability@nrf.com.
Areas of focus
Consumer insights
Leveraging consumer insights to support a broader understanding about what consumers mean when they express a desire to buy more sustainable products, how different consumers understand sustainability differently, how sustainability priorities shift from product category to product category, and how retailers can better understand the sustainability priorities of their consumers.
Circular economy
Facilitating the emergence of the circular economy by supporting retailer efforts to reduce waste; improve recycling efforts; sell products made from recycled, regenerative and other innovative materials; collect, refurbish and resell products; and improve retail’s reverse logistics processes.
Supply chain traceability
Improving supply chain traceability solutions by clarifying retailer and consumer needs, identifying existing tools, mapping overlapping and unique areas of focus, and supporting standards for data collection and data sharing protocols.
Retail Circularity: An Action Guide for Retailers
NRF and Deloitte collaborated to develop Retail Circularity: An Action Guide for Retailers that provides an industry-wide perspective on emerging circular business models.
The report allows companies to explore relevant circularity activities they can directly control and those they can only influence. It also provides additional insights on resale, repair and recycling opportunities.
Led by NRF Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Scot Case, the Center will be governed by an external advisory board comprised of senior-level sustainability executives, industry partners, academics and other subject matter experts. The NRF Center for Retail Sustainability expands upon the work of NRF’s existing Sustainability Council.
The NRF Sustainability Council is a collaborative networking group open to senior executives and their designees focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), and related sustainability issues. Learn more.
The National Retail Federation acquired the Reverse Logistics Association, a global trade association for the retail returns and reverse logistics industry, in September 2023.
The acquisition ensures members and the industry will continue to receive the most forward thinking, real world and actionable innovations, research and information to drive the evolution of the world’s supply chain.
Thank you to our sponsor
Driven by longstanding consumer and investor interest and scientific consensus, many NRF members believe climate change demands action and have been addressing climate change as one of their strategic priorities for years. NRF supports member efforts to address climate change.
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