Who Owns Pen+Gear?

Pen+Gear operates under Walmart's corporate sustainability framework. Walmart has set a goal to become a regenerative company by 2040, with targets to reduce emissions, protect nature, and reduce waste. Pen+Gear products participate in these initiatives through Walmart's supplier requirements.

Walmart's Project Gigaton, launched in 2017, aimed to reduce, avoid, or sequester 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the company's supply chain by 2030. Walmart announced that it achieved this goal six years early, in 2024. Pen+Gear suppliers participate in Walmart's supplier emissions reduction programs covering energy use, packaging, transportation, and waste management.

As an office supplies brand, Pen+Gear's primary sustainability consideration is paper sourcing. Walmart works with paper suppliers to implement responsible forestry practices, including sourcing from certified sustainable forests and increasing the use of recycled content. Pen+Gear notebooks, planners, and paper products benefit from these sourcing initiatives. However, Pen+Gear does not carry independent certifications such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on all products.

Walmart has committed to labeling 100% of food and consumable private brand packaging with How2Recycle labels and eliminating non-recyclable PVC packaging materials. Office supplies have different packaging requirements than food products, but Pen+Gear benefits from Walmart's broader commitment to reduce private brand plastic packaging.

Pen+Gear does not carry B Corp certification, Fair Trade certification, or other independent sustainability certifications. The brand's environmental claims are based on Walmart's corporate supplier standards rather than third-party verification of individual products.

Pen+Gear has had occasional consumer complaints regarding product quality consistency, particularly in the brand's early years. Some consumers reported issues with writing instrument reliability, paper quality, and binder durability compared to premium national brands. Walmart has addressed these concerns through improved quality control, supplier management, and product redesigns. No major product safety recalls have been issued for Pen+Gear products.

Walmart's private label strategy has drawn criticism from national brand manufacturers who argue that Walmart gives preferential treatment to private label products in store placement and promotion. Some brand manufacturers have accused Walmart of using its marketplace data to identify successful products and create private label copies. Walmart maintains that its merchandising decisions prioritize customer value rather than brand ownership. These disputes are common in the retail private label industry and have not resulted in regulatory action against Walmart or Pen+Gear specifically.

Pen+Gear products contain plastic components in writing instruments and organizational tools. Environmental advocates have raised concerns about plastic waste from office supplies. Walmart's initiatives to reduce plastic packaging and eliminate PVC address some of these concerns, but the fundamental issue of plastic consumption in disposable office products remains an industry-wide challenge.

In 2025, Walmart faced increased scrutiny over product safety on its marketplace platform, particularly regarding third-party seller products. This scrutiny did not directly involve Pen+Gear, which is a Walmart-controlled private label brand subject to Walmart's direct quality control processes. However, the broader attention to Walmart product safety has increased consumer awareness of quality and safety standards for all Walmart-sold products.