What Are the Key Compliance Requirements for Walmart and Target Packaging?

I see teams overbuild packaging or miss small rules. Both waste money. I show a practical path. I keep it simple. I map Walmart and Target rules to fast actions.

Walmart and Target expect packaging that moves through their supply chains safely, labels recycled content and hazards correctly, and follows clear carton, pallet, and sustainability specs; use retailer playbooks, WFS routing guides, and Target SOVE to pass checks and avoid chargebacks.

I focus on what gets you approved the first time. I explain what I do on my own display programs. I add shortcuts that save weeks. Then I link each step to the official source for audits.

What is compliance in Walmart?

I define Walmart compliance as everything that lets your case survive conveyor belts and audits. It covers labeling, carton specs, routing, safety, and sustainability targets.

Walmart compliance means meeting supplier requirements for case durability, labeling, palletizing, WFS routing and dunnage rules, hazardous materials declarations, and Walmart packaging playbooks that guide recyclability and recycled content.

What Walmart compliance covers (and how I plan it)

I start with the Supplier Requirements checklist¹. Walmart asks if my case packaging can ride conveyors, if my labels match specs, and if my pallets meet standards. I confirm WFS routing rules for accepted and banned void fill before I design inserts. I also plan for sustainability: the Recycling Playbook² pushes design-for-recycling and clear recycled-content labeling. When I ship hazmat-adjacent items like aerosols, I declare them in WFS and wait for compliance review. This review takes days, so I build buffer time into the launch. On past projects, I cut one week by aligning my ECT and flute early and locking pallet patterns first. I also document recycled fiber and ink systems for buyers who ask. These basics keep my PDQ displays and master cartons moving without rework.

What are the requirements for Walmart?

I translate requirements into five questions: Will it flow? Is it labeled? Is it palletized right? Is dunnage allowed? Is sustainability documented?

Core Walmart requirements include conveyor-ready cases, correct case and pallet labels, adherence to the WFS routing and dunnage list, proper hazmat disclosure for compliance review, and packaging that follows Walmart's recycling and recycled-content guidance.

The checklist I use on real shipments

I build a short gate review with my team. First, we validate case construction and print so cartons move through DC belts without bursts or jams. Walmart explicitly asks if our case packaging⁵ meets durability and size for conveyors. Next, we lock label placements and pallet patterns that match check-in expectations. WFS's routing guide lists accepted materials like foam, air pillows, bubble wrap, and full sheets of paper, and bans items like Styrofoam peanuts and shredded paper. We tag any aerosols, chemicals, or batteries in item setup so the compliance team can review them. For private-label or display kits, I align with Walmart's Recycling Playbook⁶ to document recyclability and recycled content on packaging panels or specs. When we followed this list on a seasonal floor display, receiving cleared in one pass and avoided relabel costs.

What is the approved packing material for fully regulated items at Walmart?

Teams ask this a lot. The answer depends on where and how you ship. WFS rules differ from common carrier hazmat rules.

Walmart Fulfillment Services does not accept fully regulated hazmat; there is no Walmart-specific "approved" packing material for those items in WFS. Outside WFS, follow 49 CFR and UN-spec packaging with any required absorbents per hazard class.

The safe path I follow (and what to avoid)

For WFS, I do not send fully regulated hazmat⁹ at all. The policy says these SKUs are ineligible, so no internal "approved material" list applies. If a product is hazmat but not fully regulated, I disclose it in item setup and wait for review. If I am shipping outside WFS under my own carrier contracts, I follow U.S. DOT rules¹⁰. That means selecting the correct UN performance packaging by hazard class and packing group, and using absorbents like vermiculite only when the 49 CFR packing instruction requires it. I never assume bubble wrap or apparel poly is compliant for dangerous goods. I add proper shipping names, UN numbers, and marks under 49 CFR Subpart D, and I document closure methods. For routine non-hazmat shipments into WFS, I stick to the accepted dunnage list and avoid banned peanuts entirely. This split approach keeps me compliant and fast.

What is the Walmart code of conduct for suppliers?

I treat the code as a live contract. I build training and audits around it. I keep proof.

Walmart's Standards for Suppliers require legal compliance, no bribery, proper labor practices, responsible sourcing and traceability, and cooperation with audits; suppliers accept these standards when they ship.

How I embed the Standards into packaging work

The Standards for Suppliers set expectations on ethics, labor, and responsible sourcing. Walmart states that accepting a PO affirms compliance, and Walmart can audit suppliers and facilities. I map this to packaging. I keep records for recycled-content claims¹³, FSC or fiber origin, and any chemical or ink declarations. I use the traceability guide to show what materials entered and exited production, which helps during display or carton audits. I train my team to spot risks like bribery flags, incomplete permits, or child labor signs in upstream plants. I keep a whistleblowing path active. When we onboard a new corrugate mill, I request certificates and test data, then run our own ECT and burst checks. This practice protects my brand and speeds retail approvals. It also reassures buyers when we present sustainability data¹⁴ and photo evidence of line tests.

Conclusion

Follow the retailer playbooks, align early on cartons and labels, disclose hazards, prove recyclability, and keep audit files tight. That is how packaging clears first time.