Wal-Mart falls short of its environmental goals
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 just aren’t responding the way the company had hoped. Pressure on suppliers was a major aspect - one of pray few tangible plans from the company - to reduce its carbon footprint. Today’s Morning News article reveals that fewer than half of Wal-Mart’s supplier companies have met demands for packaging improvements, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be reaching Wal-Mart’s goals any time soon.
What will Wal-Mart do to remedy the situation? Cut out over half its suppliers? We think not. Perhaps Wal-Mart should make some changes to its own business model, before it starts demanding changes from its suppliers.
Suppliers struggle with scorecard [Northwest Arkansas Morning News]
Tags: Greenwashing, lee scott, supply chain, wal-mart, walmart
May 10th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Got a catalog in the mail from a furniture and home furnishings company titled “Canopy,” postmarked Pewaukee WI with no name. After searching long and hard, there it was on p. 33 of 34 … WalMart. Hiding behind another name?
That made me look more closely. No indication that the catalog was printed on recycled paper or with soy ink. Then I looked at the products. Not a single mention of country of origin, use of sustainable products or even environmentally-friendly materials and processes.
Don’t be fooled! It’s just Walmart hiding under a “canopy.”