Dollar General sustainability score: 29/100
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
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Dollar General runs small discount stores selling consumables such as food, paper and cleaning products, health and beauty items, plus seasonal goods, home products and apparel, through 20,959 stores in 48 US states and Mexico at 27 February 2026. In fiscal 2025 consumables brought in $35,053.2 million, seasonal $4,327.4 million, home products $2,213.5 million and apparel $1,130.3 million.
More about Dollar General
Dollar General Corporation was incorporated in Kentucky in 1955 as J.L. Turner & Son, Inc., took its present name in 1968 and reincorporated in Tennessee in 1998; its roots go back to 1939. It had about 194,000 full-time and part-time employees at 27 February 2026 and $42,724.4 million net sales in its fiscal year to 30 January 2026.
Founded 1955Head office Goodlettsville, United StatesStaff ~194,000 full-time and part-time employees, stores, distribution centres, fleet and offices (27 February 2026)Revenue ~US$42.7B net sales (US$42,724.4M, fiscal 2025 to 30 January 2026)Website ↗
Dollar General's footprint was 1,450,698 tCO2e in 2025, its printed Scope 1 and market-based Scope 2 total, down from 1,737,429 t in 2024; it is not externally assured. It publishes no Scope 3 figure, including for the goods it buys and sells, so the size deduction for an incomplete footprint (0.70x) applies. The fall is all in Scope 2, which includes renewable energy credits and updated grid factors; Scope 1 rose from 692,872 t to 743,890 t. About 3,300 stores are powered through wind and solar agreements, partly unbundled certificates. Its only targets are self-set cuts per square foot, with no absolute or Scope 3 target.
Dollar General scores 29/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified November 2026.
That places Dollar General joint 830th of 1,118 companies scored, and joint 53rd of 67 in Retail (non-fashion).
What is Dollar General doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint: Operations (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (1/10, 2/10).
Where Dollar General lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its effect on natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
- How clean its energy isMove to a renewable energy tariff or make a major efficiency investment.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations6/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain1/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature2/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Dollar General's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Dollar General's score based on?
10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
50% of them were published by Dollar General itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Scope 1 625,813 658,617 712,806 692,872 743,890”
“Scope 1 and 2 Total 1,618,220 1,801,529 1,916,849 1,987,998 1,737,429 1,450,698”
“Monitor our Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and work to meet or exceed previously set GHG emission reduction targets”
“Consumables is our largest merchandise category”
“Palm oil must be sourced in a manner that supports deforestation-free production, including the protection of all natural forests.”
“In 2024, our reuse and recycling programs helped us achieve a 66% landfill diversion rate.”
“Dollar General has not yet committed to phasing out polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from any of its private-label products”
“The consumer advocacy group purchased 226 products from Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Five Below and 99 Cents Only Stores”
“Dollar General failed to expand its list of 19 restricted substances.”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Dollar General compare with other retail (non-fashion) companies?
Where Dollar General sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 67 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Dollar General is tied =53rd of 67, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Retail (non-fashion)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Dollar General.
Lyreco UK reports rising operational emissions (+18% year-on-year), incomplete supply-chain carbon accounting, and conflicting net-zero timelines.
See the breakdown →Frasers Group reported 87,962 tCO2e for the year to April 2026, down from 90,561 t, but only 13,504 t of that is Scope 3: staff car travel, power losses and well-to-tank.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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