2Sustain

Asda, which operates more than 500 retail stores across the UK, announced earlier this month that it is on track to deliver customer savings adding up to £800 million (about $ 1.2 billion) by 2020, thanks to its commitment to sustainability initiatives.

The company has been working towards a variety of sustainability targets since 2005, when global parent Walmart announced its commitments to sustainable sourcing and reductions in energy use and waste.

Asda has already made considerable progress. The company has:

• saved more than £70m in 2010 alone by reducing waste and energy usage in its operations.
• reduced absolute carbon emissions by an industry leading 11.9 percent  –exceeding its target to achieve a 10 percent reduction by 2015.
• eliminated 149,000 tonnes of carbon from operations since 2007. (That’s the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road for a year.)
• eliminated 900 jumbo jets worth of packaging from its products.
• reduced energy use in stores equivalent to that used by over 55,000 homes every year.
• eliminated 17 million miles from its supply chain. (The company says that’s the same as going to the moon and back 38 times.)
• redirected all food waste and 96 percent operational waste from landfill through recycling programs, including diverting waste for energy.

In addition, over the past nine months, Asda has asked customers about their views on sustainability issues and what matters to them. Based on this research, the company concluded that: (more…)

Walmart plans to install solar panels on up to 60 more stores in California –which means the company will be generating solar energy at more than 75 percent of its stores in the state.

When complete, Walmart’s total solar commitment in California is expected to:

• Generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year, which is the equivalent of powering more than 5,400 homes (using the EPA calculator).
• Avoid producing more than 21,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 4,100 cars off the road (using the EPA calculator).
• Provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility’s total electric needs.
• Total more than 130 stores by the end of 2013.
• Make California the first state in the US where Walmart has devoted this level of commitment to renewable energy. (more…)

Walmart is one step closer to reaching its global goal of creating zero waste.

The company reported last week that a pilot waste management program has eliminated more than 80 percent of the waste that would otherwise go to landfills from its operations in California.

Once implemented across Walmart’s 4,400 stores, Sam’s Club locations and distribution centers in the US, this program would help the company prevent more than 11.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This is equal to taking more than 2 million cars off the road for a year.

The Walmart zero waste program has three main components: (more…)

It seems that Walmart is basking in the sustainability limelight these days.

Earlier this month, the retail giant unveiled an innovative closed loop initiative that uses the company’s own recycled waste materials to produce new products. 

Now, Walmart has announced a renewed global commitment to sustainable agriculture. The company says this new initiative will:

• help small and medium sized farmers expand their businesses, get more income for their products, and reduce the environmental impact of farming,

• strengthen local economies, and

• provide customers around the world with long-term access to affordable, high-quality, fresh food.

Among a variety of ambitious goals, Walmart is pledging to (more…)

Staples wants to drive sustainability innovation in product manufacturing, packaging and distribution –and the company has challenged its key suppliers with a competition designed to spur action towards these goals.

Staples’ new “Race to the Top” sustainability challenge calls on suppliers to compete not only in terms of product quality, cost and features, but also in finding eco-friendly solutions for product manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. The company says that ultimately, the strategy aims to increase environmental, economic and social sustainability and remove waste and inefficiency of all types.

Similar to initiatives already in use at P&G and Walmart, Staples’ Race to the Top strategy includes collaboratively developing sustainability scorecards for products and packaging. These scorecards, which will specifically track design innovations and environmental attributes, are designed to drive more accountability throughout the supply chain. According to Staples, the supplier scorecard designations will increasingly be scientifically-based and focused on the sustainability attributes that matter most for particular types of products. (more…)