Environmental Changes at your local Wal-Mart

The Galesburg Register-Mail in Illinois ran a story Monday about how local Wal-Marts are being impacted by the company’s sustainability strategy.  We are very interested in seeing how environmental sustainability changes and promises are being implemented at the store level, and are providing resources for activists to help.

“This year, we’re looking to recycle 95 percent of our paper,” Wal-Mart manager Travis Wilhite said of the Galesburg store. “All of our shrink wrap and plastic, we put in bale form and a company comes and picks it up.”

In order for Wal-Mart to be a truly responsible environmental company, it must meet all of its environmental promises, outline public goals and timetables for all its initiatives, submit its processes to independent third-party validation and broaden its definition of sustainability to include worker’s health and wages.

Wal-Mart Watch is providing ways for activists to help check on what Wal-Mart is doing, and the company will notice.

“I think what’s important to note is there are a lot of things already being done without being publicized,” he said. “Our customers are probably our biggest critics. ... Actions speak louder than words. For example, we had the paint recycling and it was appreciated by the customers and it was appreciated by the city. That’s a small example.”

• Click Here to Visit Wal-Mart Watch’s Environmental page to track the company’s sustainability promises and join our environmental taskforce.
• Click here to visit our environmental blog for more information.

Posted by Enviro. Team on Tuesday, October 10, 2006

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