Excuse me while I climb onto my soapbox, but I'm tired of critics attacking environmentalists who work with Wal-Mart. Don't get me wrong, I despise Waldermort just as much as the next wannabe activist, but cat-calling those who attempt to guide Wal-Mart to better environmental practices is counterproductive and a waste of precious time.
My frustration surfaces after attending Sustainable Life Media's Sustainable Brands '07 Conference. The convention's goal: to educate large companies on the profitability of environmental best practices. Wal-Mart's Senior Director of Strategy and Sustainability, Rand Waddoups opened the conference by sharing Wal-Mart's latest Sustainability Plan, devised with the help of x-Sierra Club President Adam Werbach.
Just one week before attending the conference, I read, fellow HuffPo blogger, Cliff Schechter's rip, "Adam Werbach: Wal-Mart's New Fraud Salesman." "What Werbach needs to realize, is that Wal-Mart is beyond improvement and yes, beyond redemption," said Schechter. Those who really are forward-thinking need to stop working with [Werbach], certainly stop paying him . . . and stop returning his phone calls."
In many ways Schechter is right. Wal-Mart should not be in any environmentalist's pocket, but ostracizing Wal-Mart from environmental progress could be a huge mistake. We simply can't afford to hope that big corporations will figure it out unaided. Without divine eco-vention, how will companies like Wal-Mart move forward?
It's sad to say, but corporations could be our largest and most effective conduits for change. Yesterday, for example, Wal-Mart gathered over 2,000 of the world's largest suppliers to meet with several of the planet's most innovative green businesses, non-profit organizations and institutions, such as Forest Stewardship Council, World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry and the Biomimicry Guild. Called the Wal-Mart Live Better Sustainability Summit, the convention also hosts a Sustainability Resource Fair featuring dozens of experts who can help suppliers drive sustainable innovation.
In my eyes, those greenies attending Wal-Mart's conference are not hypocrites or turncoats, but true pioneers, entering the trenches and infiltrating the omnipotent. With their help, I believe corporate responsibility can become a reality and not just another marketing buzz term.
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People also drive to football games, church, political rallies,anti-war protests, grandma's, girlfriend and boyfriend's house,jazz clubs, out to dinner...on and on. Wal-Mart stores locations contribute no more or less than all these other venues that people who drive drive to. The solution here is not a Wal-Mart ban but more frequesnt use of walking, biking, public transportation and--if one drives--more effient personal automobiles. The key is if you drive cut down on it overall as well like I do.
To say that if Wal-Mart "really cared" about the environment they would simply stop doing business begs the entire question. Of course they aren't going to stop doing business. They have that right. Odd comment with all do respect. The reality is for Wal-Mart to do business in the most environmentally responsible manner possible--as well as the lead.
Who cares about Schecter or Werbach. When you reinforce this stuff you are just buying into the personality cult writers like Schechter create when they take an issue and use it to do personality type articles about it. This takes the focus off the real issue--working with organizations like Wal-Mart and others to make sure they become greener.
Groups like the Rainforest Alliance, Work Wildlife fund and others were at the 360 Sustainability Conference and made a positive contribution. Most there felt pretty good about participating. Matt, far more than greenwashing is going on at Wal-Mart...and I say that as one who can't remember the last time he was in a Wal-Mart store let alone bought something there.
If Wal-Mart cared about the environment, it would simply stop doing business. Big box retailing is fundamentally unsustainable.
I'm not saying that Wal-Mart's changes are bad. I am happy about their progress from environmentally terrible to "less terrible." However, they seek to put a green stamp of approval on their business model, and that is wrong.
To Dominick06: Studies have shown that wal-mart INCREASES traffic. Many people drive longer distances to shop at wal-mart instead of local stores. That's why wal-mart's revenue is so closely linked to gas prices. Additionally, Wal-Mart's domestic distribution system is responsible for 20 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
I'd be willing to bet that the 'greening' of Walmart will be done almost entirely at the economic expense of their suppliers, workers, and customers. One only has to look at their track record to understand my skepticism about their motives.
I don't know why this is so hard to understand, but I'll walk everyone through it.
Wal-Mart (and other big box retailers) gets most of its (disposable!!!) products from China because it's cheaper. How can it possibly be cheaper to make products in low productivity factories and then ship them around the world where they can satisfy an American's compulsion for cheap crap for 10 minutes? It's cheaper because there are NO ENVIRONMENTAL AND LABOR REGULATIONS!!! Full stop, end of story. Their entire business model is the exploitation of the environment and human rights. CFLs, hybrid trucks, condensed detergent, none of that changes the fact that Wal-Mart runs on unsustainable consumption and exploitation.
Wal-Mart is built for consumers. You can't be a consumer and an environmentalist at the same time. I'm sorry, but we can't have our cake and consume it too.
What kind of a ignorant statement is that?
Our company works with the FSC and Rainforest Alliance selling our wood products. We are a world of consumers. We consume paper, wood, food products on a daily basis and with the help of such enviro-organizations we do it at less of a cost to the planet.
When the largest retailer in our country starts selling organic and certified RA goods everyone is the better for it. WalMart is also recylcing their own packaging and turning them into other products. This is huge for the planet. I only buy Rainforest Alliance coffee now at WalMart and have gone to purchasing more and more organic fruits and vegetables they are carrying. It's simply good for the planet. The cost is slightly higher and I'm willing to pay the price for the enviro benefits. I'm a consumer that is behind WalMart on this issue and we should be pressuring all retailers to follow suit.
Or, you can keep trying to save souls by preaching to the choir.
(p.s. - olivia, i'd like to use one of your article headlines - with a link - in my new e-book about blogging. would that be okay?)
Just make sure you send me the link when you're done!
Thanks,
Olivia Zaleski
I think that it would be a mistake to vilify Wal-Mart simply because it is so much fun to do so.
It would also be a mistake to fail to extend the lessons that we would like to show THEM to the hundreds of OTHER retailers who similarly bring trinkets to us.
Remember also that many of the environmental improvements that we might be able to make are actually going to be found in the upstream supply-chain ... a chain that might serve many different retail stores, whether or not it uses Wal-Mart's truck fleet for final shipment.
And it all has to "make money," not "lose money." It's simply not going to be a simple or obvious objective.
They also have a number of negative attributes such as buying too many good from China, a need to decrease packaging (which they are working on)and a few others.
Personally I seldom shop at Wal-Mart but it isn't out of any sort of "anti-Walmart zeal" but rather based primarily on my personal retail shopping preferences which tend to focus on local, independent stores to the greatest degree possible (although price is an issue and I will buy at Wal-Mart if the savings on a major purchase is significant to me).
So, Olivia, by and large we agree--although I don;t have that "dislike" you express.
From an environmental standpoint Wal-Mart is an international leader in trying to do the right thing environmentally. It's true being the world's largest retailer the chain uses the most environmental resources but similar large retailers (and companies) aren't doing near what Wal-Mart is. So, I believe they deserve credit for this.
Those activists who let there hate for Wal-Mart get in the way of working with the chain on environmental issues are really cutting of their green noses to spite their "eco-friendly" faces. Wal-Mart is the world leader in retailing, as well as the world's largest corportation in terms of sales. By working with them on invironmental issues we not only effect their business practices but those of the global corporate community as well.
A well written piece Olivia. You are not only gorgeous but thoughful as well. No need to hate Wal-Mart though--it creates frown lines.