Wal-Mart unveils ambitious eco-friendly program

If they green it, will we shop?

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. today officially unveiled its widely rumored plan to slap an “eco-rating” on products in its stores. The world’s largest retailer is betting that shoppers will care how green their purchases are -- and maybe even pay more for environmentally friendly merchandise.

The green ratings will take years to show up on the chain’s shelves. In the first phase of its initiative, Wal-Mart will ask suppliers questions about things such as the amount of water used in producing items. The aim is to develop a green index for Wal-Mart products similar to the nutritional label found on the packaging for food products.

“Customers want products that are more efficient, that last longer and perform better,” Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke said in a statement. “And increasingly they want information about the entire life cycle of a product so they can feel good about buying it. . . . We do not see this as a trend that will fade.”

Experts have said the ambitious program probably will spur suppliers to redesign products to reduce their environmental impact and improve their score. And that could cause broad changes in manufacturing.

Many of Wal-Mart’s suppliers already have taken their own steps to become more eco-friendly.

At Levi Strauss & Co., Michael Kobori, vice president of social and environmental sustainability, said the jeans maker had set water-quality standards for its suppliers and now recommends that its jeans are washed in cold water, as opposed to hot or warm water, to save energy.

Kobori said the San Francisco company was pleased with Wal-Mart’s new initiative and called it the next logical step to improve the industry.

“It sends the right signal to the marketplace and the right signal to the supply chain that sustainability is important,” he said. “We hope it changes the game.”

-- Andrea Chang

Comments

[Mona Metzger]

I'm all about the many shades of green in our socieity but there really is nothing GREEN about about shopping at Wal-mart! Want to be green--want to improve your quality of life and reduce your impact? While shopping is the LEAST effective way to do this, it's necessary so when you do shop: buy LOCAL! Locally grown and produced when possible, support local businesses who support local communities!

Seriously...Wal-mart? Green? If Wal-mart wants to be green they should do what everyone else does when considering green...find ways to REDUCE their OWN impact on the environment.

Oh...off the soap box I go...

[B B]

Shopping "locally" in any major city is simply not feasible due to the amount of land that will be needed to sustain the population of such cities. Shopping at a farmers market is also a luxury the middle to upper-class people of American society are able to do. I personally have a disdain for Wal-Mart and its past (and current) antics except for this one. Considering the large numbers of people who already do shop at Wal-Mart, it would seem that it is an ideal place to begin cultivating a culture of eco-friendliness to people who normally associate it with limousine liberals and celebrities.

[Taintland Jake]

It's up to us! :
http://www.filthyrichmond.com/2008/11/its-up-to-us-to-save-environment.html

[Peter]

I like Farmer's Markets and so forth, and occasionally have gotten some delicious bakery and fresh produce there at "reasonably prices". But it's really HIT OR MISS !

I'm afraid the previous comment that Farmer's Markets really are for the upper-middle-classes rings too true. The rest of us have Wal-Mart or bargain WAREHOUSE OUTLET GROCERY STORES...........which are plentiful, even in SoCal, I would think (I'm in Oregon, where we have FOOD-4-LESS and such).

"Organic" means "Wealthy Westside people", for the most part.

That's just the way the world turns............unless you grow your own, and that's a lot of work, study, and time consumed to produce "good produce". Worth it, if you have the time and the money, like (again) Westside Folks.

[healthy guy]

Mona & BB, what you both just said was brilliant. This is no different than Phillip Morris offering programs to cover up the fact that they are killing people with smoking,

[Yeah.. right]

Sure... the US's biggest supporter of slave labor in Asia goes "green". I guess that balances their ethical irresponsibility.. NOT.

I still wouldn't shop at Walmart if you paid me to do so.

And as for shopping locally, there is a small market in my busy side of Los Angeles that offers produce and dairy products from local farmers at a reasonable price. Yes, it is possible.

[John Davis]

Wow, dude that is insane!

RT
www.anonymize.tk

[David]

Would you rather Wal-Mart not try? If you hate them, shop elsewhere, if not, its another reason to like them. Having worked at a Sam's Club, I am no fan, but can't understand why one thing good that Wal-Mart is doing is not applauded/supported/met with a quiet "way to go". If Wal-Mart sets the standard that a producer must achieve a better level in manufacturing then we all benefit, even if we don't shop at their stores.

[Marcus]

"Seriously...Wal-mart? Green? If Wal-mart wants to be green they should do what everyone else does when considering green...find ways to REDUCE their OWN impact on the environment."

This is precisely what a move like this is. Walmart has a revenue of over $404 billion dollars. I don't like Walmart, have serious ethical concerns about it's labor practices and have watched it first hand destroy the economy of small towns where I grew up. But by doing this, if their customers start looking for a high rating on this new label, it will significantly change Walmart's impact no only in America but overseas where most of the products they sell are made.

We will not be successful in improving our influence on our environment until it's easy to do so. To be human is to be lazy. This is environmentalism through capitalism. And I believe it is also part of the new "American Way".

[BB]

The comparison to Phillip Morris is quite a reach but I see what you were trying to do. I would like to say that no one is forcing you to shop at Walmart. If you didn't shop at Walmart before, you can continue to not shop there. Those who do prefer to shop there due to their own economical means will at least begin to have an eco-friendly mindset where none may have existed before. The real world is very pragmatic and we must take every small step as a major victory so that we can preserve the resources of the Earth for future generations.