Marketing and all things related

I wrote about Blog Action Day in September and mentioned how I loved the idea of using the blogosphere as a tool to bring awareness to a cause.  This year, Blog Action Day is focusing on the environment.  With that in mind, today, I'm writing about Walmart (NYSE: WMT).

I know, I know.  When you think of green companies, Walmart is probably not the first company to come to mind, but Walmart is the biggest company in the world, so today seems like a good day to see how they're working to help the environment. 

According to GreenBiz.com, it turns out that Walmart does have a 5-year plan to reduce packaging, personal sustainability programs, and a goal to sell 100M compact flourescent light bulbs.  In fact, Walmart even held a Live Better Sustainability Summit attended by 2,000 Walmart suppliers in Arkansas last week. 

Walmart claims to be committed to helping the environment, and is also working to convince their suppliers to make green changes to their operations as well.  For example, during his speech, Walmart CEO Lee Scott singled out General Mills' Hamburger Helper as a product that could reduce packaging waste through a simple modification when he suggested that changing the current "crinkly" noodles used in the product to smooth noodles, would allow the noodles to settle better meaning less air in the package and allowing for a smaller package design.  I should also mention that General Mills was in attendance at Walmart's Live Better Sustainability Summit.

Pointing fingers at other companies is one thing (and I know from experience that when Walmart wants something, suppliers jump), but what is Walmart doing right now to help the environment?  Again, it turns out they are actually doing something. 

At the conference last week, Scott introduced new re-usable shopping bags made of 85% recycled materials.  The new bags are black with the slogan, "Paper or Plastic? Neither," on them, and supposedly, they hold two to three times as much as current Walmart plastic shopping bags.  That's a relief, because anything is better than the junky plastic bags they use now that can barely hold a bag of cottonballs.  Scott said Walmart will roll out the re-usable bags in West Coast Walmarts this week.

So with Blog Action Day in mind, I have to say good work, Walmart, for doing something to help the environment, but I'd like to see a whole lot more from you in the future.