Costco

OVERALL
Owned	USA
Rating

Retailer

Membership based warehouse for wholesale and retail. The second largest retailer in the United States, the seventh largest retailer in the world.


Costco Wholesale Corporation	USA	website

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE

CRITICISM

INFORMATION

Costco Wholesale Corporation

BPA use

EWG's 2015 report "BPA in Canned Food" analyzed 252 canned food brands to find out which ones are still using BPA (bisphenol A), a synthetic estrogen found in the epoxy coatings of food cans which has been linked to many health problems. This company was amongst the 'Better Players' for using BPA free-cans for some of its brands and/or products.
[Source 2015][More on Product Safety]

Uzbek cotton commitment

This company has signed the Cotton Pledge with the Responsible Sourcing Network, signifying a public commitment to not use Uzbekistani cotton. (Uzbekistan is the world's fifth largest exporter of cotton and has for decades been criticised for using the forced labour of its schoolchildren to harvest that cotton by hand under appalling conditions. This practice is organised and controlled by the central government).
[Source 2016][More on Human Rights]

Palm oil scorecard - WWF

This company received a score of 2 out of a possible total of 9 in the WWF Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard 2016, which rates companies on what they are - and aren't - doing to prevent the negative environmental and social impacts of palm oil production.
[Source 2016][More on Palm Oil]

Tuna sourcing

This company received a 'Red' rating in Greenpeace USA's 2015 Tuna Shopping Guide, which evaluates and ranks tuna brands on how sustainable, ethical and fair their tuna products are for our oceans - and for the workers that help get the products to store shelves.
[Source 2014][More on Oceans]

Palm oil scorecard - UCS

The Union of Concerned Scientists' 2015 Palm Oil Scorecard scores America's top brands on their commitments to use deforestation-free palm oil. This company received a score of 0/100, signifying no commitment.
[Source 2015][More on Palm Oil]

Progress on eliminating toxic chemicals

In Dec 2016 Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families released a report card on US retailer actions to eliminate toxic chemicals from common household products. This company received the second lowest grade of any retailer evaluated, receiving a letter grade of F.
[Source 2016][More on Product Safety]

Cotton sourcing (As You Sow)

Responsible Sourcing Network's 2014 report Cotton Sourcing Snapshot: A Survey of Corporate Practices to End Forced Labor includes survey results and ratings of 49 companies reflecting actions they are taking to stop cotton from Uzbekistan picked with forced labor from entering their supply chains. The survey offered a maximum of 100 points across 11 indicators in the categories of Policy, Public Disclosure, Engagement, and Implementation & Auditing. Only five companies scored over 50 points, 19 companies scored under 25 points, and two companies scored zero. This company was in the bottom five, with a score of only 2.5.
[Source 2014][More on Human Rights]

Workers rights in Cambodia

This 2014 report by the Workers Rights Consortium which investigates conditions at two Cambodian facilities owned by the Taiwanese-owned firm Zongtex Garment Manufacturing over the period 2010-2014 consistently identified serious violations, including underage workers, deprivinged workers of legally required compensation, coercing workers to work overtime, and providing workers with unclean drinking water that may endanger their health. This company is a key buyer from these factories.
[Source 2014][More on Workers Rights]

Human Rights Benchmark

The 2017 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 98 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel and Extractives sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 0-9 band range. The overall average score was 28.7%.
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]

17.7% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 17.7/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
[Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Plastic pollution

In 2018 volunteers collected and catalogued more than 187,000 pieces of trash from beach cleanups around the world to find out which corporations are contributing the most to the global plastic pollution problem. While not in the top 10, this company ranked as one of the world's worst plastic polluters.
[Source 2018][More on Oceans]

15/100 in Fashion Transparency Index

The 2018 Fashion Transparency Index looks at how much brands know about their supply chains, what kind of policies they have in place and importantly, how much information they share with the public about their practices and products. This company scored 15%, signifying it makes some efforts to manage and improve their supply chains but make little supply chain information publicly available. This company still has a long way to go towards supply chain transparency. The average score was 21% and the highest score was 58%.
[Source 2018][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Green Grades Report card

D for report card on paper practices of the office supply sector, (A best, F worst), covering chain of custody endangered forests plantations & controversial sources, responsible forestry & FSC-certification, recycling & reduction, and other leadership. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
[Source 2010][More on Forests]

Guide to Healthy Cleaning grade (B-F)

EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning provides safety ratings for household cleaning products, with over 2,500 products rated from A (lowest concern) to F (highest concern). This company's score range is B to F, with over 66% of their products scoring an F.
[Source 2016][More on Product Safety]

Phase-out of bee-killing pesticides

This company encourages suppliers of garden plants to limit the use of non-essential chemicals, discourages use of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinator-attractive plants and encourages use of eco-friendly methods of pest and disease control. Also expanding its selection of organic products, which supports pollinator health.
[Source 2017][More on Product Safety]

Disclosure statement

Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement regarding human trafficking and anti-slavery.
[Source 2013][More on Workers Rights]

Sow stall commitment

In July 2012 this company received praise from the Humane Society for announcing that it will eliminate gestation crates - small cages used to confine breeding pigs - from its pork supply chains.
[Source 2012][More on Factory Farming]

Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety member

This company is a member of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a legally binding, five-year commitment to improve safety in Bangladeshi ready-made garment factories. The Alliance aims to improve worker safety in the Bangladesh garment industry by upgrading factories, educating workers and management, empowering workers, and building institutions that can enforce and maintain safe working conditions throughout Bangladesh. However it lacks an important enforcement mechanism included in the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and unlike the Accord, the Alliance has not received the endorsement of the ILO.
[Source 2016][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

Sustainable Food Laboratory member

The Sustainable Food Lab is a network of business, public sector, and civil society leaders from around the globe who are working together to accelerate sustainability in mainstream food and agriculture.
[Source 2016][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

Seafood Sustainability Scorecard

This company received a score of 5.3/10 in Grenpeace USA's 2015 Carting Away the Oceans (CATO) report, which evaluates and ranks supermarkets on their sustainable seafood policies.
[Source 2015][More on Oceans]

SB 657 disclosure statement

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (SB 657) requires companies operating in California to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains. KnowTheChain.org has examined this company's disclosure statement and concluded that it addresses the majority of SB 657 requirements. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
[Source 2013][More on Workers Rights]

Recognition of ICTI CARE Process

This company recognises and supports the ICTI CARE Process, the toy industry's ethical manufacturing program aimed at ensuring safe and humane workplace environments for toy factory workers worldwide. However human rights groups including SOMO and China Labor Watch have criticised ICTI Care, with investigators finding serious labour rights violations occurring in ICTI-certified factories.
[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]

Toxic chemicals ranking

The Mind the Store Campaign has ranked 30 major US retailers on their efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals from consumer products. This company received a grade of C-.
[Source 2017][More on Product Safety]

Farm animal welfare

The 2017 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report ranks global food companies on how they are managing and reporting their farm animal welfare policies and practices. This company appeared in tier 4, "Making Progress on Implementation", with tier 1 being the best, and tier 6 the worst.
[Source 2018][More on Animal Rights]

OpenSecrets.org profile

OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
[Source 2014]

> About the Icons

Company Details

Revenue	US$97 billion in 2012
# Employees	1707,000 in 2012 in World
Subsidiaries	Costco Wholesale Australia Pty Ltd

Contact Details

Address	Issaquah, Washington, USA
Website	www.costco.com

Products / Brands

Costco Wholesale Australia

Costco Supermarkets
Kirkland Signature House Brands

Costco

OVERALL

Company Assessment

Company Details

Contact Details

Products / Brands

Featured Pages

Connect

Legal