Sustainability | Girl Scouts



Girl Scouts of the USA Supports the Sustainable Development Goals

Our Girl Scout Merchandise and Properties teams set targets to advance Goals 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and 13 – Climate Action over the coming years.

Girl Scouts of the USA is working to maximize energy efficiency, and we plan to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2026 at our Distribution Center, Edith Macy Center, and Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace sites.
By 2021, Girl Scouts of the USA will launch a collection of sustainable and socially responsible product. We intentionally sourced these products from businesses owned by women entrepreneurs or Girl Scout alum, Certified B Corporations®, and companies with high ethical standards. This assortment also includes fair-trade products, made by workers under the safest working conditions, who earned a premium for their labor. As always, Girl Scouts prohibits the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), never sells products made using child labor or forced labor, and requires all partners to certify nondiscriminatory employment practices. We plan to continue sourcing as many products as possible using the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.
By 2023, Girl Scouts of the USA will reduce plastic and paper waste in the life cycle of merchandise packaging by using 25% (plastic) and 75% (paper) post-consumer recycled materials. We will also encourage cookie consumers to recycle through improved messaging. We are working with our bakers to achieve maximum recyclability for cookie packaging and renewable electricity at their facilities. Moreover, our 2021 sustainable and socially responsible product assortment includes upcycled or carbon-neutral products, products made with recycled materials and organic cotton, and products with Forest Stewardship Council®, OEKO-TEX®, and bluesign® certifications. We increasingly work to offer durable products that supplant the need for single-use plastics.
By 2024, Girl Scouts of the USA will increase awareness about climate change among its employees, Girl Scout councils, and Girl Scout troops by integrating sustainability across our departments, considering climate impacts in business decision-making, and engaging in conversation with councils and troops.