By Jennifer Kaplan •
August 20, 2008
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The U.S. retail sector represented 4.5 trillion dollars in 2007 and so when retailers talk about trends we should listen. A new study released by The Aberdeen Group shows where retailers are going when it comes to going green. The good news is that the opportunities for eco-entrepreneurs will continue to grow.
According to Environmental Leader, the new report titled “Getting From Green To Gold: Retail Success Factors and Outcomes” lists the six key focus areas for retailers:
- Adopt enterprise-wide policies for green sourcing/procurement (59%)
- Institute eco-friendly mandates for waste management (54%)
- Institute eco-friendly mandates around packaging (48%)
- Redesign the retail supply chain to align with green/responsible mandates (41%)
- Offer eco-friendly end-of-life product programs to customers (41%)
- Redesign store facilities and infrastructure around sustainability goals (35%)
By Olga Orda •
June 19, 2008
A few weeks back, I was writing about CO2-friendly supply chains and saw the hefty list of U.S. companies that the Environmental Defense Fund had helped switch to recycled content in a drive to reduce paper waste across the nation.
Now, paper is back under the public eye in fuller force than ever because of its significant climate change footprint.
“Paper is a tremendously resource-intensive product to produce,” explains project manager Victoria Mills, “and the decomposition of paper in landfills generates methane, a greenhouse gas with 23 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide.”
By Olga Orda •
June 13, 2008
Kudos to my colleagues who go the extra mile to design seminars I’d wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:37 AM to sit and listen to in half-wake awe, Americano in hand.
Seminars that go by blockbuster titles - as least for green entrepreneurs - such as “How to manage carbon risk” have authentic learning value.
In our over-wired world, live events are a luxury, an hour or three to feel how much we really love context and contact, not just stoic information glaring out at us from a screen when we’re learning complex stuff - like international carbon trading markets.
More to the point, events are becoming an even more attractive “pull” medium than ever. And, the savvy, green entrepreneur should know how to harness the reputation and client lead potentials of a well-orchestrated event - an eco-friendly supplied event, that is.
Wal-Mart’s environmental initiatives have been a major part of the company’s recent attempts to win public favor. The company has made a number of lofty promises aimed at improving its carbon footprint AND its public image. CEO Lee Scott has announced plans to reduce packaging, improve its truck fleet and “green up” the company’s stores. Up until now, the public has bought it.
But an article in today’s Northwest Arkansas Morning News shows that the company’s suppliers [...]
By Olga Orda •
February 25, 2008
Warning: so, as the video and Oprah’s darling du jour and guerrilla closet warrior Peter Walsh so clearly outlines, our pack-rat habits are making us chubby. They can also be a barrier to us going green. Not surprising, did you notice that your lean and toned friends also tend to have pretty darn spotless, sustainability-forward and organized homes, while your plumper friends tend to lavish in “chaotic creative” spaces. Hmmm…
Warning: long(ish) post ahead…
It’s been almost two weeks since I traveled to Kansas City for Wal-Mart’s Year-Beginning Meeting, so that’s probably more than enough time to think about the broad implications of CEO Lee Scott’s “Company of the Future” speech, and the plans outlined for energy efficiency and supply chain sustainability. In that time, I’ve also thought about Enterprise Rent-a-Car’s green initiatives, and Joel Makower and Greener World Media’s State of Green Business 2008 report (and I’ll be writing more about both). I’ve also spent some time at Wal-Mart Watch’s site, and read through some of the sustainability-related criticism that organization has offered.
Each meeting I’ve had with people at Wal-Mart has challenged me: there’s still that activist in me that wants to shout about past and current issues, and he competes with a more pragmatic business thinker who wants to praise the company (and others) for seeing a business case for sustainability. I think we need both voices to be a part of the mix: not just mine, of course, but many activists and business thinkers contributing to the conversation. To add my two cents, I’ll focus on some of the issues raised by the company.
Energy Efficiency: I’m pretty sure it’s universally accepted, even by critics, that Wal-Mart’s moves towards more energy-efficient stores are positive steps. This is also a prime example of good business thinking on sustainability: energy efficiency contributes to a healthier bottom line while also producing lower levels of emissions. Where I get tangled up, though, is the combination of these efforts with the company’s growth plans.
By Olga Orda •
February 1, 2008
An http://www.greenprinteronline.com dispatch.
When companies make the shift to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chain, paper is one of the first – but perhaps most overlooked – ways to shed those office carbon pounds.
But the carbon, environmental and cost savings benefits of switching from virgin paper to more sustainable paper didn’t escape Sustainable Business Design - a consulting firm that provides carbon footprint, greenhouse gas audits and “The Low Carb Corporate Diet” ™ [...]
As I noted in Thursday’s post, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott’s “Company of the Future” speech to executives and store managers contained some intriguing visions for moves that Wal-Mart could make on helping its customers conserve energy. As I expected, several commenters expressed concern about other areas, particularly product sourcing. Conventional business thinking has heralded the efficiency of the company’s supply chain; activists, on the other hand, have noted that Wal-Mart (along with most major retailers) has benefited from more open global trade policies that, generally, have placed little or no emphasis on workers’ rights, occupational safety, or environmental impact.
Numerous companies have taken a beating for problems with factory conditions in the developing world, while the retail sector in general has had to face both PR and legal nightmares related to the movement of American operations to “cheaper foreign markets” (yeah, I’m paraphrasing Lou Dobbs here). Combine that with recent revelations that some goods from Chinese factories have been tainted with everything from lead to antifreeze, one might wonder why more multinationals aren’t racing back to the US and other more regulated markets. But that’s a different post…
Suppliers
Supply chain issues took up roughly a third of Scott’s speech last week, and, again, the CEO presented some bold concepts for how Wal-Mart might address problems raised by sourcing products from the developing world. The first concerned the company’s relationships with its suppliers:
