Congress and the new administration have made a cleaner environment and reducing the cost of energy immediate national priorities. At Walmart, we see environmental sustainability as one of the most important opportunities for both the future of our business and the future of our world.

Our opportunity to become a better company begins by looking at every facet of our business—from the products we offer to the energy we use—through the lens of sustainability. Our environmental goals are simple and straightforward: to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our natural resources and environment.

We know that the steps we take and the things we learn help our suppliers and our competitors, too. Walmart is regularly sharing innovations in sustainability to help create the maximum benefit for our customers, our communities and our world.

Sustainability Index

On July 16, 2009, Walmart announced plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index, which is expected to lead to higher quality, lower costs and measure the sustainability of products and help customers, live better in the 21st century. One of the biggest challenges we all face is measuring the sustainability of a product. Walmart believes a research-driven approach involving universities, retailers, suppliers and non-government organizations (NGOs) can accelerate and broaden this effort.

First, Walmart will provide each of its 100,000 global suppliers with a survey of 15 simple, but powerful, questions to evaluate their own company’s sustainability. As a second step, Walmart is helping create a consortium of universities that will collaborate with suppliers, retailers, NGOs and government to develop a global database of information on the lifecycle of products – from raw materials to disposal. The final step of the index is to provide customers with product information in a simple, convenient, easy to understand rating, so they can make choices and consume in a more sustainable way.

Zero Waste
Reusable Bags
Offering our customers the option to purchase reusable shopping bags is one way that our stores around the world are working to meet our goal of reducing our plastic bag waste by one-third by 2013. Along with using fewer plastic bags as a company and helping customers recycle existing bags, we expect to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally. Since we introduced reusable bags to our U.S. customers in October 2007, we estimate that our stores have sold enough reusable bags to eliminate the need for one billion plastic ones.

Commitment to Packaging Reduction
Walmart has made the commitment to drive waste out of our supply chain while continuing to offer affordable, environmentally friendly products to our customers. In May 2008, Walmart achieved its goal to sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent in all of our U.S. and Canadian stores, saving precious natural resources, giving customers a more sustainable way to do laundry and more importantly, transforming the retail industry’s entire liquid laundry detergent category. In three years, we anticipate that this change will save 430 million gallons of water, 80 million pounds of plastic resin and 125 million pounds of cardboard.

Climate and Energy
Renewable Energy
We believe that being a profitable and efficient business goes hand-in-hand with being a good steward of the environment. When it comes to energy, we’ve made real progress toward our long-term goal by using more renewable sources and becoming more efficient consumers of energy in our stores and clubs. For example, we are purchasing wind energy in Texas to power our stores and utilizing solar power in 20 California and Hawaii facilities, with plans to expand by 10 to 20 additional facilities by the end of 2010.

Trucks
As a responsible company, our goal is to make our truck fleet 100 percent more energy efficient by 2015. To date, we have increased our fleet efficiency by 38 percent (2005 baseline). We estimate that fuel efficiency innovations will keep 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air between now and 2020. Toward this end, we have formed many new partnerships to innovate and improve our trucking performance. These partnerships have resulted in a truck designed with forward-thinking aerodynamics, transmission and tires, as well as things like high-efficiency auxiliary power units and emissions controls.

Products
Sustainable Products
For us, selling sustainable merchandise involves examining the entire lifespan of the product—from the materials used in making them, to the factories or farms where they were made, to how they are used as an end-product. By bringing products like affordable organic produce, fair trade coffee and compact fluorescent light bulbs within the reach of the 200 million customers and members we serve around the world, we can play a powerful role in protecting both the environment and the earth’s natural resources.

Locally Grown
In 2008, Walmart launched even greater efforts to purchase locally grown produce in the U.S. With our locally grown initiative, we can provide high-quality, low-priced fruits and vegetables while supporting farmers and their local economies. By reducing the number of miles food travels between the farm and our shelves, we can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, conserve fuel and benefit rural communities where agriculture is the local economy’s backbone.

Share your idea! What can Congress and the administration do to help America become more energy efficient?

Fact Sheets

Sustainability
Sustainable Buildings Network
Wind Purchase
National Locally Grown