sustainability

September 18, 2012

Walmart Moving Steadily Toward Its Sustainability Goals

Say what you will about Walmart, but I am impressed to see that their sustainability goals were more than just talking points that they never actually intended to accomplish. Not only are they steadily approaching those goals — the company keeps itself publicly accountable by holding Sustainability Milestone Meetings every few months. I’m happy to report that the latest meeting, held last week, did not disappoint. You can watch it for yourself here. In fact, it confirmed something that I have been saying for years.

Early in the meeting, Carter Roberts, the U.S. president of the World Wildlife Fund, had a chance to speak. If you’re thinking that a partnership between the WWF and Walmart seems ill-conceived, think again. The organization started off working to save tigers, polar bears and pandas, but they soon realized that they had to expand their reach to big business if they were going to make a real impact. I have long believed that it is true. Because what good is it for an activist or a nonprofit organization to work exclusively with companies that already have sustainability built into their business models? That’s just preaching to the choir. The larger impact can be made by working with companies like Walmart and other retail and business giants who have a long way to go and need direction and advice from people and organizations who know what they’re talking about.

A second update in the meeting made a huge impact on me. Walmart is working closely with their team in Brazil on sustainability and social responsibility initiatives there. Because whether you realize it or not, the supply chain for a company like Walmart goes far beyond the borders of this U.S. and extends far into the countries where a lot of the supply comes from.

Walmart started a recycling co-op in Brazil that not only has resulted in 2 tons of debris and waste being diverted each month, but it also employs 72 people, many of whom were living on the streets, scavenging for whatever they could find to sell, and therefore to survive. These kinds of programs are a reminder that what may seem small to us can have a huge impact not just on the environment, but on communities and people. Because sustainability is about more than just products. Its also about social responsibility.

Another big part of Walmart’s Brazilian operation is dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of the beef the company purchases. Because, let’s face it. People are going to eat beef. According to Camilla Valverde, sustainability director of Walmart Brazil, 17% of the Amazon has already been deforested, and beef production accounts for more than 60% of that deforestation. Yes. Fragile rainforest is often clearcut to make way for beef production. Well, Walmart has instituted a monitoring system that traces beef all the way back to the farm and alerts Walmart’s internal buyers about the deforestation risk of any beef they buy.

There is also a large push for Walmart to learn more about the sources of their beef in general. Several executives high up in the Walmart food chain visited a family ranch in Colorado that is also a beef supplier to learn about their holistic practices, how and where they feed their cows, etc. There was no specific mention of whether there is a push to move toward more grass-fed and organic beef, but I’m genuinely hoping that this is the case.

More than anything, I’m looking forward to the launch of the Walmart Sustainability Index. I’ve written about it before, if you’re not sure what it is. Briefly, its a system the company developed to rate every product on its sustainability, all the way from the source to production to the finished product. While its not yet complete, I love the idea that EVERY product will be scored and that this information will be readily available to the consumer. I truly believe that companies will start working toward more sustainable production once they realize that their products will be on the shelf right next to competing products that could have a much better sustainability grade.

In addition, the goal is that, internally, Walmart’s buyers will begin to use the sustainability index to make decisions about what products to purchase. Which eventually will lead to more better, more environmentally friendly choices for the consumer.

And if you know anything about Walmart, you know that the goal is to do this while maintaining the same affordability that customers have come to expect from them. At the end of the day, Walmart’s belief is that it shouldn’t cost consumers more just because they want to buy healthy, sustainable products for their families.

In my time working with Walmart, I’ve already seen the store move from very few eco-friendly product options on shelves to carrying a number of well known green product lines, from Burt’s Bees to Toms of Maine, Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers and even Shea Moisture. I hope this is a trend that continues, and that this trend encourages makers of “traditional” products to reconsider what they’re made of and how they are made.

Watch the sustainability milestone meeting and let me know what you think!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. I was provided with compensation for my time and effort in sharing my impressions of the Sustainability Milestone Meeting with you. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

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June 19, 2012

Want Local Produce? Walmart’s Got It!

I’ve been a Walmart Mom since 2008. In that time, there have been moments when I wished that the company would make more strides toward being more sustainable. There have been times when I wished that the strides they ARE making were more visible to the public. This time, though, I am thankful that I am around to see this change, particularly because it has happened not on a small scale, but in almost all Walmart stores.

Stores recently introduced a new, larger section filled with locally-grown produce!

Why is this such a big deal? Well, when you consider the fact that the average food item, produce or otherwise, travels thousands of miles before it gets to your table, you’ll understand how buying produce that was grown not just in your region, but in your state, will means improved quality and freshness, for longer-lasting value. But it also means that the emissions from the transport of said produce is greatly reduced, because it traveled a much shorter distance.

In my store, the supply of local produce includes green peppers, onions, tomatoes, corn and squash. My daughter and I grabbed an ample supply of peppers and onions and a couple of tomatoes. In my fridge, that meant about an additional week of freshness. Since we go through a lot of onions and peppers, that was awesome and has convinced me to buy local again.

Plus, in the store, all of it was labeled as local with such obvious signage in such an obvious location that you literally could not miss it if you tried. And that makes me happy. Because it means that even customers who might not realize the value of buying local produce will end up doing it by default. And good sales mean that the supply of local produce will likely increase. And hopefully lead to bigger changes. Like more produce that is both local AND organic. Or at least a large selection of both.

See…I’m a big picture kind of thinker, which is why I opted to become a Walmart Mom in the first place. And today, I am a proud mom, because I’m finally seeing large-scale changes that make me feel like our collective efforts to make the world a greener place have not been in vain.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. I was provided with compensation for sharing their campaign for locally grown produce with you. Participation is voluntary and, as usual, all opinions are my own.

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March 1, 2011

Recyclebank Gives You Rewards: Now You Really Have No Excuse

Recycling can be a nuisance. Trust me…I know. There is no curbside recycling in our county, so we save our recyclables and take them to the county recycling center once every 2-3 weeks. But the fact remains that recycling is important enough to us that we found a way to make it work, even though it’s not terribly convenient. For some people, neither curbside nor municipal recycling is available. In that case, I’d recommend being very careful about what you buy so you don’t have much to recycle in the first place. In fact, I’d recommend that to everyone.

For those of us who want to take our recycling to the next step and need a little extra incentive, there are programs that will reward you for doing it. Recyclebank is a great program that works with some cities and municipalities to offer rewards to customers who do their regular curbside recycling. The only downside? Their curbside program is available only in a very limited number of areas. However, consumers across the nation can take advantage of Recyclebank in a variety of ways.

Anyone can participate in their electronics recycling program, which accepts old cell phones and gadgets in exchange for rewards points. You also can earn points for completing various tasks at their site, like watching videos related to sustainability, answering quizzes, pledging to recycle your Kashi cereal boxes or signing up for eBay’s green team. Even without curbside recycling, I’ve managed to accumulate 471 points, and rewards start at just 10 points.

Think of it as Swagbucks for your green side. You can exchange your points for a variety of rewards, many of which are specifically related to sustainability. There are coupons for big savings on your favorite grocery products from Kashi, Happy Baby, Earthbound Farms Organics or Honest Tea, and you’ll also find discounts for restaurants like Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday and other tangible and experiential rewards. In addition, each week, there are “Hot Deals,” which you can get for a drastically reduced amount of points. For example, this week, you can redeem a coupon for $6 off on 2 dinner entrees at Olive Garden for just 10 points (reduced from 150 points). These hot deals are up only for a very limited time. I will post them regularly on the Green Your Decor coupons page, so you’ll be able to find them there if you’re interested.

The Recyclebank Green Schools Program

I’m also a big fan of their Green Schools initiative. Every semester, Recyclebank gives environmental project grants of up to $5,000 to schools in communities that offer Recyclebank home recycling.They give $10 for every 100 points donated to a school, and members can donate points to the schools of their choice — whether it is one in your community or not. The mission of this program is “to motivate individuals and communities to realize a world where nothing is wasted,” starting with impressionable students.

Given that signing up for Recyclebank is free, there really is no downside. Sign up today!

Disclosure: If you sign up for Recyclebank through my referral link, I will receive 10 points.

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October 26, 2010

Ditch the Paper Towels & Switch to People Towels

Our family stopped using paper towels at home a LONG time ago, but we never really thought about our paper towel usage when we were out and about. We’d wash our hands at the mall or at a restaurant after eating, and grab a paper towel (though I sometimes just shake my hands until they’re fairly dry). When an hand dryers were available, we’d use those, but many bathrooms only offer paper.

This may seem like a small problem, but let’s put this into perspective: Paper towel use accounts for 3000 tons of landfill waste. Every. Single. Day. Not all paper products. Just paper towels. I’d venture a guess that most of these disposed paper towels are made from virgin fiber — not recycled. So in addition to the enormous amount of waste being created, paper towel usage also contributes to deforestation.

This simple dilemma sparked the idea for People Towels. Simply put, they are small reusable towels, about the size of a washcloth, that you can take with you wherever you go and use to dry your hands. They are available individually or in sets of 3 or 5. In other words, you can keep one in your purse, one in your desk, one in your back pocket, etc. so you’re never tempted to pick up a paper towel.

Check out this quick video from People Towels about the impact all of us can make:

Of course, you can also create a homemade version from scraps of fabric you have around the house, or just use extra washcloths for that purpose. That’s what we wound up doing after People Towels sent me a 3-pack to try a while back.

As much as I love the bold, modern designs, I fully admit it took a while for us to remember to take them with us. We still forget sometimes. But the idea is to break the habit both at home and while you’re on the go. When we’re out of clean People Towels, we’ll just take regular wash cloths to serve the same purpose.

Why It’s Green:

People towels are made from 100% organic, fair trade cotton
Designed to help eliminate the use of paper towels and unnecessary waste

Price: Starts at $8 for a single towel

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October 15, 2009

Blog Action Day: Climate Change is Real, So Do Something About It

I write about green living every day, so it’s not a big stretch for me to write about climate change for Blog Action Day 2009. What warms my heart, though, is to see thousands of other bloggers — about 10,000, to be more specific — writing about the issue that I believe will have the greatest impact on the future of this planet.

For anyone who believes the small changes we’re all encouraged to make won’t add up, think about the power in this day. Ten thousand bloggers and their collective audiences are focusing on climate change today. And it all started with the founders of Blog Action Day just trying to do something to make a difference in the world. That’s what I call power.

I’m the first to admit I don’t know much about the science behind climate change. I know that the polar ice caps are melting and polar bears are losing their habitat and starving as a result, and I know that the change that has begun in those regions is trickling down through the ecosystem. So while those signs may seem far off now, the snowball effect — no pun intended — will soon bring the effects of climate change right to our doorsteps.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can slow its progression, and all it takes is literally being conscious of our actions. I’m not perfect. I do things in my everyday life that really aren’t sustainable. Each time I do one of those things though, my conscience kicks in, because I know I can do better. A part of me longs for a more sustainable alternative, and eventually, my nagging conscience makes me change. Because it’s really that easy. All we have to do is shift our perspective — about consumerism, about the way we eat, about transportation and the way we communicate and do business — and it will make a difference. A big difference.

Start taking steps to a more sustainable lifestyle today. Even if all you do is turn off a light when you walk out of a room or remember to shut off your computer and surge protector when you go to bed for the night, start there. You can browse through the Green & Gorgeous archives for tips and information on making your entire lifestyle greener or you can head over to my second blog, Green Your Decor, for information on having a greener home. This article is cross-posted there.

If you’re looking for completely new information, check out the Blog Action Day site for thousands of posts from other bloggers. Learn something today. I know I have.

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August 26, 2009

1 Simple Shift: Switch to Reusable Batteries

On a regular basis (not exactly daily, but pretty close), I try to be conscious about making a change, however small, to make my life greener. Most of them are incredibly simple and literally just require shifting your point of view, and sometimes your spending, to more sustainable alternatives. Today, I’ll begin a series called “1 Simple Shift.” In it, I’ll offer tips about changes I’ve made (or that I’m still doing my best to make) or twice a week.

Today’s shift: Switch to reusable batteries.

Many people don’t realize that we’re not supposed to toss batteries in the trash. When we do and they wind up in the landfill, battery acid and other components can leach into and contaminate the soil. Battery recycling programs are tough to come by, which is why I have a ziploc bag full of old batteries that I refuse to throw away. About a year ago, we started buying rechargeable batteries whenever we found ourselves in need. It started with one pack of double As, and now we have a set for all the battery powered devices we use on a regular basis, like our wireless mouse and keyboard, my daughter’s VTech Motion and a couple of other gadgets.

We also invested in a charger that could handle all these AAA and AA batteries. What this meant is that while we spent about $20 upfront for the batteries and charger, we haven’t had to buy any batteries at all in year. I don’t know for sure how much we’ve saved, but I’m willing to bet it’s more than $20.

Today, I got a package in the mail that reminded me of this simple shift. While at BlogHer, I attended the EnergizHer party. By the time I arrived, the swag bags were all gone, and the hosts were generous enough to send me one at home, which I received today. It contained a family size charger that can accommodate AA, AAA, C, D and even 9 volt batteries. It also contained 1 package of batteries in each of these sizes. Talk about swag you can actually use! The Energizer charger is supposed to return a full charge within 3 hours, which is a GIANT step up from the 6+ hours it typically takes for our old Rayovac charger to complete it’s job. It also seems Energizer has really stepped up its commitment to promoting their rechargeable line, which is to be commended.

So make 1 Simple Shift. Start with a set of rechargeable batteries in the size you use most often.

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