Wal-Mart gets ready to reduce emissions, waste and operating costs
How serious is Wal-Mart about going green? Enough that their mission, according to GreenTech Media, is to "wean itself from fossil fuels and generate zero waste from its operations." A goal like that certainly gets our attention.
This change won't happen any time soon. GreenTech writes that, "In five years, Wal-Mart is aiming to make its existing stores 20 percent more energy-efficient and to reduce the energy consumption of new stores by 30 percent. It's also working to make its transportation fleet more efficient and to turn its trash into a revenue stream."
Wal-Mart is getting ready to launch a new website where green companies can offer their technologies to the retailing giant. If Wal-Mart thinks it can reduce its environmental footprint and its operating costs by using the technology, then it's off to the races. Wal-Mart's site will launch next week at www.cleantech.com/accelerato (it currently just says "Testing page").
Now, while this effort is noble, if Wal-Mart truly wants to green all of its operations, I'd say that will have to include the many factories that produce all those products Wal-Mart sells. Sure, it's a huge challenge, but there's no time like the present to get started.
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[Source: GreenTech Media / Tyler Hamilton]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
George 8:57AM (1/28/2008)
Who would I contact to show a new product to that saves $$ on gas, reduces toxens GO GREEN and you can makw some extra $$ helping people do the same?
George Foerst
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George 5:30PM (1/29/2008)
Who would I talk to about a product that gives you better mileage using Gas or Diesel, reduces toxic emissions and you can get paid for doing it. Product is insured and EPA registered.
George 954 263-4369
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Domenick 9:48AM (10/30/2007)
I think solar and/or wind electricity production for each of it's currently coal driven suppliers in China would be a great start. Good thinking, Sebastian.
Actually, I have a great idea for Wal-Mart and other large entities. I need to become Inc. and get my numbers and drawrings together. >_
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scatter 10:23AM (10/30/2007)
That's exactly what they intend to do. It'll be interesting to see how far they get - after all they have a lot of purchasing power. It's good to see mega corps finally starting to engage in sustainability.
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GoodCheer 1:15PM (10/30/2007)
I have read that much of the carbon footprint of big box stores like WalMart comes from the fact that the average consumer drives two, three or four times as far to buy their products. Compared to the neighborhood stores that they replace, WalMart and it's ilk NEED to green their supply lines just to catch back up to the dirty distribution (to individual households) that they require.
I haven't seen the math, but this argument seems plausible.
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bioburner 5:55PM (10/30/2007)
Wal~Mart has already installed PV solar panels on top of some of their California stores. I'm thinking the units I read about were 500+ KW units.
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GoatAss 7:20AM (10/31/2007)
WalMart is trying to increase their "Green" by reducing operating costs. It just so happens that they can do this by being more energy efficient. They should have been working on this earlier to be more lean and profitable. There is more money to be saved by efficiency than just paying poverty wages and eliminating health care for its employees.
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