Wal-Mart Canada shows what other retailers can do…
This announcement came out at the end of last month at the GLOBE conference in Vancouver, but it’s worth repeating. Wal-Mart Canada disclosed that it expects to avoid $140 million in costs over the next five years as a result of efforts — both current and planned — to reduce energy use and waste and to embrace green energy and clean technologies. The company reported that its environmental demonstration store uses 60 per cent less energy than its current superstores and that all new superstores will be 30 per cent more efficient. More than 80 per cent of Wal-Mart Canada’s waste is also being diverted from landfill. The company is also moving more goods to its stores by train, and where trucks are used it is making sure vehicles are sent full to reduce the number of shipments and fuel consumption.
Say what you want about Wal-Mart, but the company is walking the talk and proving that it can save money doing it.
Tags: GLOBE conference, Wal-Mart Canada
Tyler Hamilton is editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and a business columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the clean technology and green energy market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper.
April 6th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
“More than 80 per cent of Wal-Mart Canada’s waste is also being diverted from landfill.”
Impressive, but we really need to be focusing on the product manufacturers on this stat. If Canada adopted the practice seen in Germany where the shopper has the option of leaving the packaging of a product they purchase at the store (making disposal the responsibility of the store); I would bet this stat isn’t so good for Wal-Mart.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:29 am
WalMart is also experimenting with local foods:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/the-great-grocery-smackdown/7904/
Although their model is suspect — focusing on the suburbs and building large stores in the middle of nowhere that people have to drive to — I see no reason why this company wouldn’t adjust its model if necessary. They have shown they are capable of and willing to change.
April 7th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
For a little over 1-year now I have been reviewing all of the various comments, blogs and reports regarding the renewable and clean energy discussion. Anyone that is truly interested in advancing the use of alternative energies needs to understand that it can actually happen if and only if, they start appealing to individual’s “common sense”.
When spoken about from a Political tone or even from a Social and Environmental voice, people tend not to want to listen. The fact is most people are disgusted with the political overtures thrown around the country. Once they get a sense that a politician is speaking of the subject, whether it be for the good or not, they tune out and the movement goes nowhere. The same rings true if spoken by an environmental activist type. The fact here is, most people do not want to be thought of as some “environmental greenie” type. Although, if the discussion were framed as an appeal to one’s “common sense” such as: 1) do you think we should STOP buying/importing oil from overseas…? Everyone spoken to would without a doubt answer emphatically YES! 2) Mention, are you aware that the U.S. uses 25% of the world’s oil but, can only produce 2% – so unless we do something else, we cannot stop importing the oil needed to survive. 3) Ask, are you aware that the U.S. Government, especially the military are currently using all sorts of renewable and clean energy to conduct their various businesses. 4) Express to the U.S. public that in China, only 1% of the population owns a car, yet the Chinese Government is aggressively pushing with big incentives its’ citizens to purchase automobiles, and that China’s population of course, is 3-times the size of ours – then ask, where do you think gasoline prices are going once their driving citizens get on-board? 5) Explain how by going renewable your electric bills will decrease. Of course however, if there is not a great demand for the renewable energy source, the prices are initially higher to the consumer but, if the demand were to arrive, prices would ultimately decrease, alas the way of “flat-screen televisions”.
The tone of the conversation must change if there is to be any headway made in the advancements of renewable energy. EVERYBODY would welcome the change if and only if, the texture of the discussion was different. Take a peek at a new site I discovered online, http://www.reepedia.com
It is my understanding that they are trying to change the texture of the discussion. Good for them, but better for the American people because, the current dialog hasn’t and isn’t getting us anywhere.
April 8th, 2010 at 5:09 am
Impressive numbers, but I must agree with T., packaging is the real problem. When people buy millions of water bottles daily instead of drinking tap water or buying larger containers it creates so much waste it’s unbelievable. Energy efficiency is just the first step in “becoming green”. I bet placing solar panels on top of every Walmart would also help greatly. Those building have vast roofs that are not used at all.
Take care, Jay
April 8th, 2010 at 11:24 am
The Walmart way is to cut margins to the bone by focusing on price exclusively. When you focus on price exclusively quality disappears. Which works for them because you need to buy 3 Walmart gadgets to last the same length of time as 1 Quality gadget.
To make the same money as a someone who sells quality goods at a reasonable cost, Walmart must sell exponentially more stuff.
They have contributed greatly to the 2 is better than 1 and 3 is better than 2 etc, etc mentality of North America. We, in North America, are the pigs of the material consumption world.
You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.