Walmart - Still Going Strong on the Green Front
**It’s Wal-Mart Day at EcoSherpa!! I had No idea Steve was writing a similar post!! Honest!**
I came across a very interesting article about Wal-Mart’s green initiatives in the LATimes today. Its a 3-pager, and definitely worth a read in my opinion. It talks about some of the green practices the retail giant has been testing out at two US locations (in Colorado and Texas), some of the struggles they’ve faced, as well as some of the opinions expressed by supporters and critics.
I have to admit I’m really impressed with their efforts so far. I know they are still falling short in many ways (environmentally and otherwise), but my tendency towards ‘glass-is-half-full’ thinking is simply getting the better of me in this case. How can you NOT see some potential for positive change when a company as large and influencial as Walmart takes such major steps. What better way to start educating a huge number of people, many of whom might otherwise have never given a flying fig about environmental issues.
Anyway, here are a few tidbits (link to full article given at end of post):
Wal-Mart’s sustainability efforts, unlike some of its other initiatives, also have won the company something more elusive: approval from critics and others not predisposed to Wal-Mart fandom.
A recent New York gala dinner hosted by movie producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein honored Wal-Mart Chief Executive H. Lee Scott Jr. for “his commitment to environmental sustainability.” Co-hosts included talk-show star Charlie Rose, NBC Universal CEO Bob Wright, MTV creator Robert Pittman and investment banker Steven Rattner.
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Not all the experiments are ready for export to other stores. Wind turbines have short-circuited. Wal-Mart is still monitoring the use of Using recycled cooking and motor oil in heating. And the wild-looking field of native prairie plantings, which require little water, is not an aesthetic all cities would appreciate.
But as the nation’s largest private purchaser of electricity, with an annual power bill of $1 billion, Wal-Mart says the successful experiments make the duds worthwhile.
In one test, Wal-Mart took items typically displayed in open cold cases — such as lunch meats, cheeses, biscuit dough and eggs — and put them in enclosed, freezer-like units, cutting that area’s energy bill 70%.
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Here is a list of some of the things they are testing out (and some of their findings):
Energy efficiency
• Light-emitting diodes used in exterior signs and in the store
• Evaporative cooling installed in the Colorado store uses water sprayed into the air stream to cool the air as it evaporates.
• A portion of the heating for the stores uses recovered cooking and motor oil. Heat recovered from the refrigeration racks also is used.
• New refrigeration display cases have doors that reduce air infiltration, reducing electricity demand.
Solar power
• Solar has not met expectations.
Wind power
• Wind turbines also have performed below expectations.
Water conservation
• Since April, the Texas store has used 85% less water for irrigation thanks to the use of native, drought-tolerant plants in landscaping and drip irrigation.
• Waterless urinals were installed in the men’s restrooms. The urinals were designed to save one to three gallons of water per use.
• Pervious pavement and/or concrete were used at both stores to assist with draining water from the parking lots. This pavement allows water to percolate through the pavement system and into the groundwater system.
Waste
• Spoiled items from the produce, deli, meat and dairy departments are sent out for composting. The compost is then sold at Wal-Mart’s stores.
Building materials
• Recycled pavement was used, including some from the demolition of Stapleton International Airport.
• Ternary concrete was used. This material mixes traditional concrete with industrial byproducts including fly ash (results from burning coal for electricity) and slag (a byproduct of steel manufacturing).
• Recycled rubber sidewalks are warping and fading in the sun.
• Countertops were made with recycled glass and concrete. Bamboo was made into woodwork and flooring. While the flooring is holding up well, the cabinets and fixtures are not.
Source: Wal-Mart Stores
I really appreciate the fact that they are being honest about what’s working and what is not.
There was another interesting paragraph that mentioned them actually providing educational tours for representatives from other big box stores (such as Target and Costco). Pretty cool! Hopefully they will inspire some others to start taking similar steps.
Anyway I highly recommend you check out the full article: Wal-Mart goes ‘green’
Technorati Tags: walmart, solar, wind power, sustainable, energy, green business, green construction
Written by Bentley on November 13th, 2006 with
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