Welcome
Hello and welcome to The Green Room, a new blog that we hope to develop into a vibrant conversation about helping people live better around the globe. My name is Andrea Thomas, and I am fortunate to have one of the most rewarding jobs anywhere: I lead sustainability at Walmart, where we are committed to creating a better world.
I invite you to visit this blog often to learn about the latest in sustainability – ours and yours. We will share our thoughts and ideas, and I hope you will, too.
In my travels, I have discovered a collective will that is growing stronger by the day. I truly believe that together we will find the best and most innovative solutions to the problems the world faces.
At Walmart, we have made commitments that span the spectrum. They range from broad goals, such as zero waste and 100 percent renewable energy, to specific pledges to source beef that does not contribute to deforestation or to sell only sustainable palm oil in our private label brands.
Much of our work is done in partnership with NGOs and governments around the world. We have examined best practices country by country, and we will share some of that news with you here and feature places and people already making a difference.
Together, we really can create a more sustainable world and a brighter future. Thank you for joining us on this journey. We look forward to reading your comments, hearing your stories and exploring your ideas. To get the conversation going, here are a few questions:
What do you think are the biggest challenges to sustainability?
What do you wish we, as a company, could do to address an environmental or social issue?
How could we help you reach your own sustainability goals?
Andrea Thomas
SVP Sustainability
Congratulations on the new Green Room!!! I live pretty greenly, if you will, but would like to fine-tune some other things I am SURE that I could change for the better!!!
Thank you for your comment! Walmart is excited to showcase it’s interest in creating a more sustainable world to help people live better. We hope you enjoy the blog.
How about installing wind or solar power in these third world countries where we are sending tons of food to? Use the energy created to make their lives more livable. Use the energy to help them via greenhouses to grow their own food and use technology to remove salt from saltwater. If we keep them in the dark then we will always be giving them more food. Teach them to provide for themselves so we aren't having to do it for them.
you've heard the saying; give a man a fish and he will eat for a week, teach him how to fish and he will eat forever, or something along those lines, well TEACH them .
What should be done to help USA Only purchase items made in USA! I want Wal-Mart to go back to their start & be the place to find items made in USA!
I fully agree but to modernize that sentiment I'd say, "Buy local." Of course we'd prefer you'd buy American but at least buying local helps your immediate neighborhood.
YES. Made in the USA. I will not buy anything else.
I think buying only Made in the USA is practically impossible – possibly “assembled in the USA”.
I work at 5216 in Amarillo Texas. I am also in the Horticulture industry. Have a suggestion on the "spreading the word" question, we have the store flyers with the advertisements, would it be possible to put in there a "tidbit" of GREEN informtion for the public? I realize that not everyone would read it or take the advise, but it would kinda be like a "GREEN Thought" and be in the public's mind..
Barbara E Hatchel CGT, CTP, CGM
Thanks for sharing about what your company is thinking about on sustainability! The farmer members of Triple Bottom Line Commodities are working to help facilitate the sustainability needs of companies like yours. We look forward exchanging ideas on forums such as this and to possibly working together down the road. To learn more, please visit http://www.TBLcommodities.com
Thank you for your comment, Sara! Walmart is excited to showcase it’s interest in creating a more sustainable world to help people live better.
well for the parents who are shoping and the kid does not want to stay with there parents have a play area for cheldren 14 and under and have people that work there wach the play area anf that should be in every single walmart store in america
I work @ walmart(customer service) I see things that I have suggestions for, but who does one talk too? Most managers are too busy to listen!
Go back to using the paper bags. They are biodegradable. I know u have the reuses me one that we can buy. But I always forget to bring them
Better yet, since it is Wal-Mart they should give away at least one resuable bag with every purchase. They have plenty of money to do so and for people that continually shop at Wal-Mart they could bring the bags back. Have you tried keeping the bags in the trunk of your car? Paper bags are not necessarily biodegradeable either, plus they use trees. What Wal-Mart and every other grocer should do is not supply bags at all. Imagine how much money could be saved not to mention the waste of all those bags. Even when recycled they still require petroleum and energy to manufacture.
I agree with not providing bags at all. We have started just putting items back in the cart, unbagged, and loading them into bins we keep in our car. I also have my own bags, but often forget to bring them in. So the bins are a great solution for us.
Good point on the bags. Perhaps Walmart could offer a small discount when people bring their own bags? That might make it easier to remember…
carry your bags in your car, I was in Europe and they have to pay for plastic bags. If it will cost them more people will bring their own. Have you ever wondered what people did to carry groceries home. they bought every day what they needed and brought their own basket.
Reusable bags are actually the answer here. Paper bags biodegrade almost as quickly as plastic bags photodegrade in a landfill, meaning very very slowly. On top of that, paper bags use way more energy to produce. Buying and using a reusuable bag, even most of the time because we all know everyone forgets from time to time, is much more "green" than any other type of bag.
I have an environmental blog and wrote about this exact subject if you care to do some reading: http://one-world-jirpl.posterous.com/shopping-bags-and-the-environment
Thank you for sharing, Jake!
Reusable bags should be priced LOWER than $1/each. If the bags are from recycled plastic, I’m sure the cost to produce is less than $1. I also like the idea of bringing my own bags (whether they are from Walmart or not) AND not bagging items at all… or having items packaged in 2-pack or greater. Who really buys/eats just one of anything anymore? It is easier to handle multi-pack items (less to roll around inside the cab of my truck). It may result in my going shopping less often but that would also mean I am driving less… saving fuel too.
I would love to give ideas that would be totally planet changing, but I would be giving up my rights to making any profit without legal paperwork completed. If your serious and would fund projects that would end much of the.pollution generated daily and I would get my just percentage of credit and profit, I would simply blow your mind in a creative way. My ideas could help the.total planet period across all lines created for divisional purposes. And its sad, I dreamed up these ideas as a child and I’m just now seeing badly engineered versions being marketed to organizations of suppression and earthly human cleansing. If this is a serious movement contact me, if not I would rather remain amongst the suffering masses.
Hi Leonard, thank you for your interest in The Green Room. The best way move forward with an opportunity to work with Walmart is to visit our website for potential suppliers. http://walmartstores.com/Suppliers/252.aspx
i think we all need to go back to papper bags, plastic bags or not good. paper bags also can be recyle their studry. plastic bags they have wholes in them ,if to much is put them they break and everything falls to the ground i cant tell you have many gallons of milk has been destory. i work hard for my money for it to go to waste. thats my opion.
It would be great if Walmart had a recycling station in the store… for plastic bags, hangers, light bulbs, batteries, and motor oil. These are all items that Walmart sells. CFL light bulbs are a rather new item that need to be disposed of in a specific manner…
Right now, Walmart only provides a trash can. At the very least… there could be a recycling bin next to all trash cans… for paper, plastic, and glass trash.
I also think that Walmart could have biodegradable plastic bags.
Thank you for your message. We appreciate your effort to think of ways to help Walmart create a more sustainable world. You can recycle plastic bags in any Walmart store and used motor oil in any store with a Tire & Lube Express. A fun fact for you – in 2010 Walmart reduced our plastic bag waste across our global operations by 47.95 million pounds, or approximately 3.5 billion bags. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us here: http://walmartstores.com/contactus/feedback.aspx
I was very excited to hear of this new forum . Wal-Mart is already a leader in making our world a better place !
This past weekend I was sick with a cold and stayed home watching old black and white movies.
It amazed me how much our country Recycled even before it was in fashion . During the two world wars , we scrapped just about eveything we could to help the war effort . We should all view going green as our new war effort . Some apartment complexes to not recycle debris . Would Wal-Mart stores encourage bringing in items to a recycle bin at the store parking lot designated by Walmart ? Maybe giving a coupon for a product of interest in the neighborhood where the store is located ? just a small thought . Thank you for your effort Andrea Mireya
Help sustain our planet by selling more organic produce.
To begin, I wish you luck in accomplishing your goals. The introduction of skylights to the various stores has been a good step towards 'sustainability' Adding Solar panels to the roofs of many of the California stores is as well. One area I think could use some improvement is in regard to your restrooms. No, I am not advocating utilizing composting toilets but rather for the stores that don't already have doorless restrooms, but do have automated hand driers instead of paper towels. Please, please, please for the love of community health, please place paper towel dispensers in those restrooms and place a recycling bin next to the door. (more often than not, people will do their business and not wash their hands and touch the doorknob) Resulting in the spread of germs. I observed an experiement in one store where at the beginning of the day, a luminescent powder was applied to the handle of a urinal. And each hour the restroom was checked using the Health Department's UV light. by the end of the day most the store responded to the UV light. What I am pointing at, is don't sacrifice community health for resource conservation. please see to it that the doors are removed and entryway remodeled for privacy before removing the paper towels from the restroom.
Thanks and good luck!
ooh, and if you have skylights, maybe you could start putting in some vertical wall gardens .. there is somethign about greenery which can be soothing and comforting and relaxing plus clean the air some
..
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to be green is to build things that last. Planed obsolescence is filling our lanfills with garbage.
1)I feel that the production of plastic bottles should stopped, (use glass). 2) I think that there should be more electrlc vehlcles ,tools and farm equipment. 3) Use natural cleanning formulas for clothes and anything else.
Just get rid of the plastic bags period that’s where u can start,!
Lots of people like to chastise me for shopping at Walmart, citing the death of small business in America and too many products made in China. I do agree that both of these are problems, but the fact is that I enjoy many of the products at Walmart, and I VERY MUCH appreciate the convenience of 24 hour stores that have such a variety of products! It makes me extremely happy every time I find a product in your stores that is made in America! Likewise when I find organic produce or cotton products! As the largest retailer in the US, people certainly look to you to lead the push in the "green" direction. I will continue to focus on buying these products whenever possible, and I am excited to see what"s ahead. I do have one general suggestion, and that would be to possibly make more of a community focus – space in your stores for locally produced or hand-made items – maybe a "farmers market" in the parking lot – something to appeal to more locals who might otherwise avoid Walmart. On a final note, I must say that I was very glad to find the vegan and vegetarian section in the freezer case! Thank you for your efforts to be a more responsible retailer!
I think a good way to promote walmart as a greener store is if you reward your green customers that use reusable bags , reward them by taking a few cents off their bill for each reusable bag they use . more reusable bags less plastic , better for the environment ..everyones happy .
I agree with Irene. US consumers are wired for rewards. Just think about Foursquare or Yelp. If I got even $.25 for each reusable bag I brought in to use vs plastic I would feel I was rewarded.
What an excellent idea! Or better yet, points toward a future purchase… or special coupons…
Promote greener in stores by holding education classes for assoicates. In order to lead we need to be the example. We know how to sustain at the store level but educating our associates by creating Green Teams to attend meeting, Webinar, conference, do demostrations to our customers on Saturday mornings will keep the communication on saving our plant resources and showing the value dosen't stop with saving money but saving the most important value of our life our home, Earth.
Appears great at first glance. I support Walmart for this initiative. As a vegan, I am very environmentally conscious and believe that as huge as Walmart is, that is can truly be a force for sustainability. I'll just begin with one idea: seek an alternative to the plastic bags at checkouts. Surely millions and millions of them are used by Walmart and end up in landfills. I appreciate the recycle boxes for them at entrances, but doubt there's much consumer participation compared to total number of customers. In my town here, the city has dispensers of plastic bags for cleaning up after one's pet. These seem just like plastic bags but are biodegradable. What a huge impact you could have if all of your plastic saks were biodegradable. And going back to paper is not an option as it destroys trees. Thank-you, Ricky
what if the paper bags were made with 100% post-recycled paper?
but definitely a discount for when bring in their own bags.. that has helped us with incentive at other places.
where is the share button?
Hi Debbie. Great catch! You will now find a share button below the welcome post that allows you to easily share on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. We hope you enjoy the blog!
This looks great! I'm really excited to start as an Associate in August for such a great and environment-conscious company.
I'd like to see us focus on reducing the amount of bottled water we sell and focus on sustainable water offerings. Provide more water refill stations and give it away to reward people. Provide reusable water containers in the water aisle vs in Home or Sporting goods. Start educating customers on the true cost of convience for buying that bottle of water vs. tap. I've lived in lots of places where the water was so hard you really couldn't drink it, so this is a great opportunity to sell water filters and water softners. If you took part of the water aisle and put in water refill stations, BPA free plastic and stainless steel water bottles, water filters and even Mio, plus some educational information you might be surprised at the sales you drive.
I agree, Walmart needs to move towards solving real issues and taking big steps. BE A LEADER! Be the first company to ban water bottles, install solar on every roof top, be the first to have made in USA or Canada items, provide a fund to support community enviornmental projects…
There is a world of possibility and you guys can either lead the way or continue with the status quo
Walmart going green, huh? Does this mean their associates won't insist on using 100 plastic bags when I buy 20 items?
We pick up several prescriptions a month from the Walmart Pharmacy, I really hate getting those hard blue boxes. They can't be sustainable. Is there not an alternative?
Education for consumers is a key part for the company to create demand for its own efforts in the sustainability arena. The supply-chain is the area in which Walmart can make the biggest difference, which is invisible to the average consumer picking up an item from the shelf.
I think consumers deserve to know where materials from products are coming from beyond the "Made in China" sticker on the bottom of arguably most of the items in the store. If Walmart can make each link of the supply-chain more sustainable for itself and the parties involved, then there will be much improvement in terms of sustainability. This story will of course, need to be told, as it is not the tangible item paid for at the checkout.
It has always bothered me at the Walmart checkout when I have to tell the cashier to please not put just one thing in a bag, ie: a gallon of milk does not need a bag at all, nor does a six pack of soda. I try to remember my own bags but not always am I successful. Some incentive may work as I almost never see people use their own bags. $.05 off for each reusable bag??!!
Walmart does not do a very good job of offering enough organic. Not that I have seen is there recycled paper products. No biodegradeable detergents or soaps. Being the biggest retailer should come with a certain amount of responsibilty to Mother Earth and its people around the world. If Walmart were to make more of an effort maybe some of the shoppers would also.
We welcome your blog to the sustainability arena! Always great to see encouragement for "green" activities, especially recycling.
- Steel Recycling Institute
Thank you so much! We sincerely appreciate your interest in the blog. We take great pride in our sustainability efforts.
Walmart is in a great position to prevent greenwashing by their suppliers by considering the overall impacts. Can you determine if Coke and Pepsi's plant based bottles are really better for the environment? I heard they are not compostable and also contaminate the normal recycling plastic stream. The value of recycled PET has also gone down since companies began switching away from recycled goods to plant based. Plus, I can think of a lot of people we could feed with the corn we are now making into bottles! Are plant based bottles green washing?
Love the blog Andrea!
What a great moment in time….one of the most powerful and influencial consumer outlets decides it is worth the risk to start conversations about going green. Whoever is heading up this effort, know that you are at the helm of a powerful ship and that we hope you guide it well.
Thanks for starting this blog. In answer to all 3 of the questions you posted: Please consider implementing takeback/recycling programs for electronics, fluorescent lights, paint, unused pesticides and household chemicals, automotive fluids, packaging and alike. Zero waste is a lofty goal. Is this a goal for the operation of stores? Or does the goal include the products once purchased? Think cradle to cradle.
Great Blog Andrea.
As a Walmart operator for 18 years I can say that without a doubt our efforts, commitment and results as a company have attracted potential associates that would not otherwise have shown interest in Walmart as a career. At career fairs, public speaking events and business organizations sustainability is one of the first things people want to talk about. Keep up the great work.
What I would love to see Walmart do is truly follow these goals to heart. I know its hard, I know its expensive, I know many people don't like changes, but if one of the biggest companies in the world can makes some changes it would make a huge difference, both environmentally and as an example for the rest of the world. Your influence is that huge, Walmart, remember that!
One thing, among many, that I would like to see, is smarter packaging. There is simply no reason to package batteries in indestructibly hard plastic. Nor is there any reason to use as much styrofoam, which is undeniably detrimental to the environmental and is about to be pinned as carcinogenic.
The point that I want to get across is Walmart, let's not take the cop out route by calling your products "natural" and buying up renewable energy shares while using oil to power your company because its cheaper. Please don't trick people. Many people don't understand the environmental movement and there's no need to trick people into believing certain things are "green" when they're no more than buying into industry-fueled tom foolery.
Truly embody this idea and blaze a trail. Be that company that actually makes a difference, because you have enough money and influence to do so.
I agree completely with you.
Hi Andrea and team, congratulations and best wishes on your launch!
Hi Andrea – congratulations on a great blog! I have a suggestion – since food waste is the #1 material sent to landfills & incinerators for disposal, maybe WalMart can join EPA's Food Recovery Challenge (http://www.epa.gov/foodrecoverychallenge) to both show the nation what you are doing to reduce food waste (including sending excess food for donation to those in need) and to challenge your competitors to match your accomplishments? It only makes good economic, as well as environmental sense to use food to feed people – not landfills. Thanks so much! Jean
p.s. To all those suggesting biodegradable plastic bags – using those DO NOT help the environment if you still put them in the trash. Once they go to a landfill – they do not biodegrade and magically disappear. If you really want to make a difference, use compostable bags and then send them to a composter to be composted.
First of all, you can make your own products green by default. Second, make green products as abundent in your stores as the other stuff. Also, put the environmental footprint of your products right on the package.
Impressive pictures of the green achievements at Wal*Mart. I would suggest finding better alternatives to using those plastic bags at checkouts. I use cloth bags and the culture really needs to change. Keep up the good work and don't give up just yet.
Hi Andrea, congratulations on the blog launch. I recently did my own so I can understand your excitment. I'll be sure to come back often to see whats new.
Congrats on this blog. My suggestion for WalMart: Reduce the packaging of the products that WalMart sells. I just learned that toothpaste in Germany is sold in the tubes themselves without cardboard boxes around them. No reason we can't do that here in the US, and WalMart has the buying power to get the toothpaste manufacturers on board with sustainable packaging design. That's just one example. WalMart should lean on its suppliers to get smart about packaging design.
Love the site! Great to see more communication about sustianblility from Walmart.
I would be really interested in seeing a a post about the 15 questions from a few years back. Is Walmart still working with suppliers on this? What has the outcome been?
Thanks!
Thank you for your interest in The Green Room. At Walmart, we have built sustainability into our business and recognize that changing the way we package our products is key to accomplishing our goals. Walmart continues to require all direct import, nonbranded and private label suppliers declare that their factories are compliant with local social and environmental regulations. Our suppliers share our vision and understand how much we value the environment, and they are taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging, reviewing their shipping efficiencies and finding better ways to improve the lifecycle impacts of their products’ packaging. To this end, our suppliers have recorded packaging details for over 650,000 items in our sustainable packaging scorecard. Hope you check back this spring for updates from our packaging experts on The Green Room.
Really look at the footprint of the stores: are you using permeable pavement? is the roof covered with solar panels? are you really doing renewable energy? do you really need multiple stores 3 miles apart in the same city? are you creating more suburban sprawl? when you abandon an older building, what happens to it? how many other smaller stores are you putting out of business with initial sales pricing that you then raise the prices on? are you paying living wages? are you providing healthcare for your workers? are you using as much local products as possible? are you buying local for produce? are you promoting things manufactured in the US? all this is part of sustainability and "green" practices
The best of sustainability….Start simple; the best architecture is for the designer to meet the regional demands of the environment in which it is built (i.e. solar, wind, water, reoccurring resources including timber). Since the beginning of time this has held true. One would not expect to find similar designs in the south west US vs. the south east US. but that doesn't mean they can't carry some of the same characteristics. Since this is a Wal-Mart blog let's assume this for the sake of discussion. Using the standard concrete shoe box everywhere just doesn't meet the basics but maybe there are some key characters that could be carried out in all the facilities keeping the corporate image by in large in tact. Putting a PV array on top of a flat roof with some tilt doesn't take enough advantage of the sun's energy, for example.
I believe by keeping to some general principles we can start testing new technologies that will allow CEOs to make small investments in technology which would allow them to realize a savings in designing sustainable. Ex. calculators that cost $500 bucks in the 1970s now can be obtained for less than $20. I wrote and designed my thesis on this topic and though the electronics have changed they are cost prohibitive. Good design is the key.
Andrea,
We commend Wal-Mart for taking the initiative of launching a public sustainability blog. Here in Canada producer responsibility programs and corporate sustainability thinking is developing quickly, and Wal-Mart has been a leader in sustainability innovation. Keep us the great work. We look forward to reading the discussions on your blog as they develop.
Conference on Canadian Stewardship
http://www.canadianstewardship.com
You could start by requiring your vendors to manufacture a certain percentage of what you sell, in the United States. Foreign countries do not have a very good record of green production, especially China, where most of what you sell is made.
I definitely appreciate Walmart's effort. My mom lives in Elephant Butte, New Mexico near Truth or Consequences. My gripe with the area is that they have little or no recycling. Combine this with the Super Walmart shipping in mostly short life span products made in China and you have a lot more waste. It looks like there is a great opportunity for Walmart to step in and start a take backup program, and start a new model for recycling, thereby enabling the region with a more resilient and robust model of sustainable living. The desert southwest needs innovative programs like this since they are so sensitive to climate issues, over use of land, and draught.
Please step in and create a program that could be a model for other sensitive areas in the US.
Thanks,
Rowan
Wow, great post! Well-written, informative and eye-opening. Will definitely be checking out your blog more in the future
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoy the blog. Check back on Tuesday for updated posts!
I’ve learned a lot from your blog here,Keep on going,my friend,I will keep an eye on it,One more thing,thanks for your post
I think it is great that WalMart is endeavoring to grow it's green programs. In doing so, WalMart has not only helped to "green" the planet but realize significant cost savings. There are still, though, great programs that could be implemented to fill needed infrastructure and WalMart is perfectly situated to do this. We ran a very successful pilot program with a local WalMart in the California area where we utilized metal springs from the thousands of hangers and polystyrene foam diverted from the local landfill. Our team created a completely recycled consumer kitchen product using both. But, we have not been able to explore expanding the program because everyone at WalMart keeps telling us to run through the "vendor" application. We are instituting local initiatives to preserve landfill space, grow jobs and keep manufacturing local, but but we keep being referred to run the gamut as another seller of products because we are wholly unable to reach the right person to show what it is we are doing. I think many people on this blog show some interesting ideas about how to make small changes that have a good impact, but do those at WalMart with real ability to implement programs ever see these? When there is an idea that requires the involvement of several players on the sustainability team, how does that submitted for consideration?
I saw this link and had to check it out. I think that walmart needs to do far more then support sustainabilty. They can start by create programs for food safety. They offer very little organic foods and I would really like to see a more proactive approach to this. If Walmart demanded their vendors to label GMO's it would literally change this huge food safety issue.
I see a definate shift in consciousness and if Walmart wants to remain a top retailer they need to address these issues very soon. Local means local food systems- not another local warehouse. Local means farmers in THAT county. Local means supporting small farms and not falling prey to companies attempting to dominant our food supply. As it seems right now it appears that Walmart is trying to do just that.
Prove us wrong.
I applaud Walmart for addressing sustainability. I am skeptical that the corporate management is really serious about the effort vs the branding of the effort.
In my opinion, seriousness would be evidenced by the products that are stocked in the stores. Does Walmart consider Tide (and other brands) in line with its sustainability goals? I don't think so. Any product that contains chemicals that are absorbed into our bodies, leached into our environment (soils, water, plants and animals) should be abandoned by the Walmart corporation, in favor of brands that ARE responsibly produced.
Doing away with plastic or paper bags would be a tremendous and immediate impact that would lower operating costs, thus, consumer costs. Win-win.
Recycling education and solutions for all the plastic that Walmart sells to consumers would be great. AND reducing plastics in packaging and product manufacture would also be an incredible step.
Stop selling individually bottled water.
There's a start…..
Good luck!
Hello, thanks for establishing this forum and (obviously) this site on which it lives.
I'm a co-founder of an organization called EarthPM, and a co-author of an award-winning book called Green Project Management, which is about the intersection of sustainability and project management. This often-overlooked junction is where we feel a significant amount of progress can be made.
By giving examples of "green projects" here you can help. But even more, you can use this little corner of the web to illustrate just how business actually THRIVES in an atmosphere which focuses on sustainability, and how PROJECT MANAGERS happen to be positioned perfectly to make a difference.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now, but if anyone wants to hear more about this, check out our book, and/or visit our site. Thanks!
Please get rid of plastic shopping bags! This has been widely successful in many other places (both stores and entire cities!) around the world and the green impact is infinite.
I just want to say that I’m a student at Colorado Tech University and for business class we have to do a presentation and I thought this would be great to use that Walmart is going green. I need feedback for my presentation for this Project if this allowed I’m very new at this so I hope this can be done this way. Im getting a degree in Business Health care managment and also I my self is very interested in going green. For my class also we have to pick a Company and do a essay and I picked Walmart and it is a great Company.
Thanks for your comment Ellen. You can find more information on our sustainability initiatives on our Sustainability Page and read our Global Responsibility Report. Additionally, please continue to check back for new posts each week on The Green Room. Good luck with your essay!
I applaud Walmarts’ efforts to promote “green”, but the sheer size of your company makes that very difficult to back up. Family farms don’t produce enough to supply you. Walmart carries something like a 50% share of all groceries bought in the US. While you make efforts to use local suppliers, the logistics of supplying a company as large as yours simply don’t support local growers but rather corporate farmers. Again, I applaud any efforts this company makes involving “green” and “buy American” but you are really part of the problem, not the solution.
Glad to see the conversations expressing new ideas on sustainability!
Go beyond just the packaging substrate. Learn more about what the printing industry is doing to make the total package more sustainable…as well as everything else that is printed! Visit the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership website for details on the only sustainbility certification program for all types of printers in the United States and Canada - as well as those printers that are already certified. Visit http://www.sgppartnership.org
Go Walmart! Thrilled to see this new blog and will be checking it often. Hope you’ll join us at Practically Green, take the “How Green am I” quiz, create an action plan, and let us know what you think! Does this blog have its own Facebook page and Twitter? If so we’d love to join/follow. Thanks! Sarah@practicallygreen.com
Thanks for your support Sarah! The Green Room does not have it’s own Facebook or Twitter account, but you can find sustainability updates by “liking” Walmart on Facebook or following us on Twitter. We hope you continue to enjoy the blog!
Congratulations on the Green Room! To weigh in on the biggest sustainability challenges facing us today, we think that the concept of “trust and transparency” is a big part of the puzzle. By engaging in dialogue and informing consumers on sustainability issues in meaningful ways (i.e. addressing issues that matter to them), Walmart’s new blog promises to be a great forum for the exchange of ideas – a great step toward fostering transparency and building trust among consumers.
TerraChoice – Part of the UL Global Network
Thank you for your comment, Lisa! We are excited to showcase our interest in creating a more sustainable world to help people live better. We hope you enjoy the blog.
Hi, everything is going well here and ofcourse every one is sharing facts, that’s genuinely fine, keep up writing.
Your article is the greatest I have seen for a long time!
Here in New York City, very few grocery stores use paper bags. It’s shocking. I originally come from Seattle where you are always given the choice between paper and plastic. Where I live now, plastic bags litter the streets and hang it trees for years before they disintigrate. Good for Wal-Mart to draw attention to Green solutions.
Hi, i was just wondering what made your company go green? I am very intrested on knowing when the “going green” started and why the compny started going green.
I had a suggestion for Walmart stores. Please consider reducing the amount of receipt paper you use, and just ask the customer if they would like one. Most of the grocery stores I go too have trash bins right by the door, and many folks are throwing them away before they even leave the store. It will save paper, money for the store, and the time of the cashiers to keep changing the receipt paper.Thanks for considering!Tina
I was recently shown a youtube video that I think would go along way in an effort to control the power usage of any/all walmart associated facilities.
And for that matter, the way we do power in general.
please take a moment and look up: ‘Bloom Box’ on youtube.
I would like to comment on the entry about reducing receipt paper. I have been in stores where they will email you the receipt instead of giving you a copy of it. This works out great because you don’t waste paper or the possibilty of losing the receipt. You can view it on your email or print is out if needed.
Thanks for your message! We appreciate your thoughts on how Walmart can help create a more sustainable world. Be sure to keep checking the blog and sharing your ideas with us.
My store makes plastic recycle bales and gets a $ credit for them. I bring all of my plastics from home to the store. why pay my local collector to make money on it, when I can increase my bonus instead?
A big thank you for your post. Awesome
Be responsible and use more paper. 3 major mill closings in the last few years. Over 2,000 jobs lost. MN DNR pulpwood auctions having no bids. Trees rotting and using oxygen to decompose producing CO2.
Plant 10 trees for every tree used then. Also use other plant sources like kenaf to manufacture paper. Reopen those mills for the people’s jobs and have them mill these alternative sources to our trees. Far too many have been lost to paper products.
yes this world needs loose leaf and paper products for all sorts of things humankind has ideas for. if trees are rotting then people should realize they need to rethink their capital venture. ive seen more people recyling paper than anything, its expensive. guess when we said recycle paper, we should have mentioned we planted ten in ones place and well they are ready to be cut down, or look wood pulp for paper is an item that will be someday be the sames as it is today, mills are closing because the need for timber is down. you all there in frontier land are educated enough to devise a way to keep those trees from rotting. so mill the timber into pulp and sell it to the people who make the wipes that are complimentary at most places as you walk in. especially like it when its right by the produce section. whose to say that local shopper next to you putting their hands on things didnt smell after he scratched. just saying,
This is great! After reading what the initiative deals with, I am sold! The only improvement I would suggest is placing this blog on more advertisements and even on the front page of the website. I could not find it on the homepage. To “create a more sustainable world and a brighter future,” one must show the world what is being done. Had I not had a great professor show me this blog, I am not sure if I would have come across the great initiatives proposed here.If there could be more press on this blog on higher traffic platforms (i.e. Facebook and Wal-Mart homepage), that would be great. I am sure many agree with me. Thanks!Great job here, Mrs. Thomas.
Please think about putting water wells in third world countries where fresh water is nit available.
Stop using plastic bags or at least put more things int there
How about promoting and supporting alternative transportation options to the employees? I work in the Alternative transportation field, and have such issues getting the approvals from those that hold power within Walmart!Promote carpooling to work, vanpooling, riding transit, biking or walking!
I think all stores should Not give out bags of any kind. We all could bring our own or have some containers that remain in the trunks of our cars to put our purchases in. Solar panels and skylights are great ideas. We use solar panels and wind power at our home. I also recycle .
First, I’m so glad to have found your blog via the WalMart facebook page, I’m and inspired to see WalMart’s proactive sustainability efforts! As for answering your question, “How could [WalMart] help [me] reach [my] sustainability goals?” Well, as a homeowner here in the suburbs, my garden space is currently quite underutilized. We bought a little apple tree from WalMart two years ago that is absolutely thriving. Then, we purchased the Better Homes brand of Rosemary from WalMart and planted it en masse along our front path. It is doing really well! We love having fresh herbs available to cook with throughout the year! We would really love to continue to integrate low maintenance edible plants into the landscape! On that note, we would like to see the garden centers within WalMart transition to carry more of these types of plants instead of (or in addition to) the ornamental landscape plants here (store 19301 Cantrell, Little Rock, AR). Figs this year, perhaps? I’ve been researching a little, and it looks like there are several varieties that perform well here in Zone 7! Regardless of whether you can stock them this year or not, thanks for what you’re doing so far! ~Amber Hamilton Henson, wife and mother 3 shopping at WalMart no less than twice a week!
I would like to see walmart sale solar panels, inverters and the materals needed to install them.
I think that Walmart should buy recyclable and biodegradable products from small business.