Wal-Mart to Get Green Labels to Help Eco-Friendly Families

August 11, 2009 in Green Living

In the past few years the superstore had taken many initiatives to go green, from offering organic coffee to creating its very own Wal-Mart Sustainability website. But now it’s taking a huge green step by asking its suppliers to provide green labels on their products.

Wal-Mart has always been a family-friendly place to shop, not only because the store offers affordable prices, but also because it has almost everything that a family needs.

In the past few years the superstore had taken many initiatives to go green, from offering organic coffee to creating its very own Wal-Mart Sustainability website. But now it’s taking a huge green step by asking its suppliers to provide green labels on their products.

Being one of the world’s largest retailers, Wal-Mart shouldn’t have a problem convincing over 100,000 of its suppliers to answer a few simple questions like, ”Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions”? and “Have you set publically available water use reduction targets?” There are actually 15 set questions that Wal-Mart will be asking its suppliers to get their green ratings. You can check them out here.

The company will be working with a group of 12 universities, as well as Professor Jay Golden of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University, who will be the co-director.

Although it may take a while to get these green labels fully functioning in Wal-Mart stores, if it’s a success the hope is that all companies will do something ecologically similar to this initiative.

Source: New York Times