Here are a few examples of tangible actions by Macy's, Inc. in the drive to improve sustainability:

In fall 2008, Macy's replaced its laminated handled shopping bags with new ones made from kraft paper with 30 percent recycled materials. The new handled shopping bags are recycled and recyclable. (Macy's uses 63 million handled shopping bags each year.)

By the end of 2009, the company is expecting to replace its clear plastic garment hangers with black ones that are lighter, require less material and are 100 percent recyclable. (The company uses about 300 million hangers each year.)

Solar panels have been installed on the roofs of more than 30 Macy's stores, primarily in California. The installation of solar panels in these locations has the environmental impact over 30 years of planting 21,000 acres of trees or providing power to more than 7,800 homes during the day.

In 2008, nearly 75 percent of the paper used in our advertising catalogs or direct mailers was recycled or certified.

We have asked our private label vendors to look for alternatives to PVC in their products and packaging. We are continuing to explore alternatives to PVC and are phasing out private label PVC shower curtains.

The company's online businesses - macys.com and bloomingdales.com - began in 2008 to use loose fill in-the-box packing material that is 100 percent biodegradable, compostable and recyclable.

Macy's stores and macys.com continue to use recyclable folding gift boxes and wrapping tissue made from 100 percent recycled material.

Macy's, Inc. is accelerating adoption of energy-savings technologies in its stores through two design products - one related to a new building and one for a retrofit of an existing store - now being conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy National Technology Laboratory. Through these projects, we will develop a new commercial building design that will reduce energy consumption by 50 percent and retrofit an existing building design that will have a 30 percent energy savings.

We have engaged customers in supporting the environment through a Turn Over A New Leaf campaign that was initiated in 2008 and repeated in 2009.

The company has built a culture of energy conservation, including significant capital investments in energy assets such as HVAC and lighting upgrades, as well as energy management controls. Among the tools is a companywide Energy Management Information System, a Web-based portal that allows management to pinpoint energy waste.