Walmart plans to require its suppliers to provide environmental information on their products, including fuel consumption and raw materials extraction methods. This information will go into a labeling program to help consumers select green products.
Many environmentalists are pleased by Walmart’s actions. Andrew Hutson of the Environmental Defense Fund complimented Walmart for its green effort, saying their plan was, “a shift in the way that we define consumerism.”
I want to go further than Hutson by stating that Walmart’s plan could mark the most significant environmental success in the movement’s history. Over the past two decades Walmart has changed retailing by forcing suppliers to meet stringent standards for efficiency and quality. Walmart’s demands forced manufacturers world-wide to improve their product quality and to cut their costs. Today U.S. consumers enjoy the benefits of Walmart’s efforts by the billions of dollars, and not just at Walmart stores, but at almost any store where consumers shop.
If Walmart applies their retailing excellence to their green programs they will Green retailing world-wide, and drag consumer product manufacturers into the Green with them.
I have no doubt that Walmart is acting out of a desire to get ahead of any federal regulations. That is smart of Walmart. I also have no doubt that Walmart sees Green as green ($$$). Nothing could make me happier.
Capitalism, the drive for profit, can do more to improve the environment than all the world’s governments working together on a common agenda. Businesses move faster than governments because profit is a very powerful motivator. Businesses and consumers will win when businesses make green products that consumers want, and at prices consumers are willing to pay. Most important, the environment will also win.
Note that not all environmentalists are pleased with Walmart and its green plans. Tyson Slocum with the consumer watchdog group, Public Citizen, told MarketPlace.org that he was concerned about bias if Walmart gets to control the definition of a green product. “I’m not sure that it’s appropriate for a giant retailer like Walmart to be crafting these definitions. I think we got to have an unbiased source.” Slocum’s solution is to have the federal government create the definition of green products.
Environmentalists like Slocum should reconsider their approach to environmental action. Walmart and other businesses will make progress quickly in areas where the government has done nothing.
And seriously, does anyone really believe that any federal government agency can be unbiased with all of the lobbyists and members of Congress seeking special treatment for clients and constituents?
Walmart is bringing the forces of capitalism and environmentalism together to create environmentally sound products at prices consumers are willing to pay. Capitalism has the potential to do more for the environment than all governments combined and working together, all while creating jobs and prosperity.
Congratulations to those environmentalists that understand the power of capitalism to do good, and to Walmart for taking the lead. I hope to see many other retailers and other businesses follow Walmart. There is green ($$$) in Green.
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I will continue my boycott until Wal-Mart stops union-busting.
union people always buy non union.
I love these union folks. always down on Wal-mart. Unions are the worst hypocrites I know. They want a union for themselves but not everyone else. I want more pay but I don’t want to pay more for union products myself. That’s why I buy almost all products including the food I eat that was picked in Mexico non union. Yes that’s right the restaurants I eat at are non union. I leave non union size tips. My underwear is non union. When I go on vacation I only stay non union hotels. I want more union wages for my work but I want my costs to remain the same. I only want non union costs. I don’t want the price of stuff to increase. What sense does that make. That’s the whole point of being union. More money for me. if everyone makes more money it won’t work because the price of stuff will go up. I may be union but I’m not that dumb.
Walmart has certainly shown its skill at forcing supply costs down, but that skill does not extend into product quality, like you claim. Walmart is notorious for forcing suppliers to cut costs to the point that quality suffers dramatically.
This isn’t just a throwback to Walmart’s pop-culture stigma for selling cheap crap, either. For instance, Walmart’s overhyped $4 generics are sourced from Ranbaxy factories whose cost-cutting measures have run afoul of the FDA and Justice department for producing dangerous variations in drug potency.
How about Walmart’s tasty vittles? The #1 grocer in the world makes foul meat appear fresh to customers by encasing it in a nitrogen or CO gas bubble. It injects chicken cuts with salt water to increase the poundage. It has been known to source seafood from overseas (Chile, Thailand, China, etc) companies that devastate the environment to produce elastic shrimp and zombie salmon.
In business, you can have low costs, large inventories, and quality products… but you can only pick two at a time. Walmart always opts for the first two options.
Cheap-skate capitalists are the reason China has all our jobs.