U.S. retail chain Walmart has unveiled new measures to reduce plastic waste by leveraging its massive private brand program, which is expected to impact over 30,000 SKUs.

Walmart is partnering with its private labels on a number of initiatives including achieving 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging for private brands by 2025, and achieving 20% post-consumer recycled content in private brand packaging by 2025.

It also wants to label all food and consumable private brand packaging with the How2Recycle label by 2022, eliminate the non-recyclable packaging material PVC in general merchandise packaging by 2020 and decrease private brand plastic packaging.

It says the move is designed to help get to the heart of the problem by focusing on the retailer’s private brand packaging, building upon existing efforts to reduce plastic waste in Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club operations, and encouraging national brand suppliers to set similar packaging goals.

"As a global retailer that has set an ambitious aspirational goal to create zero waste, we fully recognize that reducing plastic waste by increasing packaging circularity is an area where Walmart can lead," said Laura Phillips, senior vice president of global sustainability at Walmart.

"Today’s announcement marks another key milestone in our ongoing journey of working with our private brand and national brand suppliers to deliver access to high-quality, sustainable products as part of the Walmart everyday low price promise."