It will take more than promises and glossy marketing campaigns to convince consumers that Wal-Mart is green, a recent study has found.
The largest retailer on earth finds itself the subject of Environmental Leader’s latest study on green marketing. Despite Wal-Mart’s massive green marketing campaign over the last year, consumers still don’t consider the retailer a sustainable company, explaining:
Brands that have spent significant marketing dollars communicating green initiatives such as Wal-Mart and GE are
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By Alex Goldschmidt •
March 31, 2008
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 Cassie Walker •
March 27, 2008
We’ve all heard about the greening efforts of some pretty big companies, including GE and WalMart. But what’s behind the press releases and green logos? Though some corporate efforts may be greenwashing, many companies, both large and small, are making solid verifiable moves toward sustainability.
A panel held at UCLA this month, dedicated to sustainability in business, put this issue in the spotlight and revealed some useful information for companies looking to reduce their footprints. A few key points:
By Meredith Melnick •
March 21, 2008
I just read an article about a new in-house organics label from a retail giant here in Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart. Despite the name “drug mart,” Shoppers carries an impressively large inventory of edible items. And while I have always appreciated their supply of organic shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste, I haven’t given the food aisle a second glance.
Most of their offerings are of the Doritos n’ gummi worms variety. You know, food that isn’t labeled with real words. It made me think of the changing landscape of discount organics and what it means for consumers.
By Alex Goldschmidt •
March 14, 2008
Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott attended the ECO:nomics conference in California this week. Wal-Mart has been heralded as a forerunner of corporate environmentalism: in 2005, the company announced big plans to “green up” its act. But when Scott was asked when Wal-Mart expects to achieve the environmental goals it set forth in 2005, Scott answered bluntly: “I have no idea when that will be.”
It’s the first time anyone from Wal-Mart has admitted so candidly that the company [...]
Walmart CEO Lee Scott Jr. discussed the retail giant’s green efforts at this week’s ECO:nomics conference in California. During his speech, Scott acknowledged that Walmart is trying to reduce its carbon footprint but also needs to keep growing.
Read more about his comments here.
By Paul Smith •
February 20, 2008
Unless you’re hidden deep in a cave in Afghanistan, you’re probably aware just how popular and prevalent green businesses are, as well as the greening of existing ones. And in many ways, this is to be applauded. Companies seem to be falling over themselves to find ways to be more efficient, as in the VW Polo 
Bluemotion car, a Prius beater without the hybrid geewhizery. And then there’s Walmart, which seems to have turned over a green leaf in convincing ways, albeit with plenty of room to improve.
However, the question seems to be, is it possible to consume our way to a greener planet? Is buying more things the solution to the current and impending resource shortages? The newly released Smart Seed, an engineered grass seed that purports to require less watering, via much more efficient root systems, would seem to be of this camp. Yet is the answer a greener lawn, or to not have a lawn at all? Will it take drastic change in the way we (we being the developed world, and those emulating us) go about living our lives? Doing business? Raising our families?
Or is there a middle ground between gluttony and martyr-like abstaining from participation in modern consumer culture in order to “save the planet?”
How green is Walmart? So green, apparently, in the case of one soon-to-open “high-efficiency” store in Illinois, that the decorative floorboards and moldings are made from parts of disposable diapers.
Photo courtesy of Rolf van Melis.
By Alicia Erickson •
October 2, 2007
Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart, annouced that they have converted their "private label Member’s Mark premium ground coffee" to Fair Trade Certified. The process from bean begins with 3678 small scale, independent farmers who then sell their beans to "democratically-run cooperatives for a set, guaranteed minimum price." This pool of beans from thousands of independent farmers is what composes the Member’s Mark brand. In conjunction with this announcement, Sam’s Club is offering a
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