Rand:

It's safe to assume that Wal-Mart sells more ordinary products than green ones, right?  If Wal-Mart then builds 100, 1000 or 10,000 more stores, aren't you then making the environment worse rather than better overall?  How long will it be until green products outsell the rest at Wal-Mart?

Re: CFL Bulbs.

While I do like the conservation of energy provided by CFL Bulbs, I do have to worry about the fact that no where in my community is there a place to recycle the bulbs.  The high amount of mercury is also a concern.  Did you know that proper cleanup and disposal of a broken CFL bulb can cost more than a $1,000 due to the mercury content?

http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=aa7796aa-e4a5-4c06-be84-b62dee548fda

What does Wal*Mart do when they have a broken CFL bulb in shipping or on the shelf?  Considering that these poisonous chemicals could easily come in contact with something like toys during shipping, is something being done to protect the rest of the shipment or those in the store (customers and employees) from the toxic mercury when a bulb is broken?

"Green" products are great, but what about the environmental-unfriendliness of Wal-Mart as a whole? Wal-Mart's huge stores require an equally huge amount of energy to build and run, the company ships most of its products in from overseas, and consumers drive thousands of miles every year getting to and from Wal-Mart stores. This is not to mention the fact that Wal-Mart has violated environmental regulations many times in the past. Making a few products less harmful doesn't address the bigger problem.

First of all, I applaud the efforts the company is making.  It has not only inspired me to become a Environmental Science major, but to also consider what I can do at home.  The other day I was thinking why people wouldn't recycle more.  Of course the simple fact is that there are more trash cans than recycle bins.  Its just easier to throw something away than to recycle it.  Thats when I had an idea.  

Make it easy for people to recycle where they go on weekly basis.  Instead of having to make a special trip to the recycling center allow people to bring their recyclables to Wal-Mart (where we all end up eventually).  Even if we don't pay people for their aluminum cans I can't help believe that the ease of use would encourage people.  Also, if the recycle company doesn't have to pay people then bam!  immediate profit for them....

Just a thought...

Admin Note: Justin, as his linked name indicates, is a Wal-Mart Associate.

A few replies from these posts, I apologize for the delay as I had a very sick little one that monopolized the time:

These are some great comments.  On the first and third comment, please note my first post.  It is very important to note that I strongly believe what is in that first post, and that frames up much of what I will write about.

On the second comment, I would refer you to an article that explains this far better than I.  http://biz.yahoo.com/usnews/071219/19_faq_the_end_of_the_light_bulb_as_we_know_it.html?.v=1&.pf=banking-budgeting    The most important thing I see there is the net impact.  Without question, the net emissions of mercury from CFL waste is lower than the total emissions of mercury that would have come from coal-fire power plants to make the energy to power the incandescant bulb.

Finally, on the last post, I love the idea of helping people recycle more, and recycling is something we all feel strongly about.  More to come there, I promise.

I was very worried about the amount of plastic bags my family was using to bring home groceries from Wal-Mart, but heavy duty reuseable bags are expensive and I need alot of them.  So I had decided to save my money for a while and buy reuseable bags online, when I found, at Wal-mart, big, reuseable, recycled shopping bags!  FOR A DOLLAR!  They are so perfect!  I bought 5 that day and every time I go shopping I buy a few more if it is left over in the grocery budget.  I was troubled that they were tucked away somewhere, and I only happened to stumble upon them.  They are so good and so cheap!!  I would offer them at every register!  It would save Wal-mart a ton of money, I would think, giving away fewer plastic bags.   So to those people like me who can't afford designer shopping bags,  Wal-mart sells great ones for $1.  Good luck finding them.

That's a good idea! As an avid environmentalist - Greenpeace, Natl Wildlife Fed, Wildlife Guardian for Defenders.org, APCA member, Care II- plastic bags are terrible for our panet! Sea turtles try to eat them, thinking that they're jellyfish, and the poor little creatures choke to death on them. Heartbreaking. I am poor- an animal healthtech college student in fact-but our Walmart has many of those bags, & they're only a buck!!All I need is 3 or 4 of them. I'll get them, next trip!!And help save our planet.Thanks. Happy New Year! May you prosper, & may the angels watch over you all your days!

You want to purchase a green product here is one for you that I recently purchased and fing remarkable.

I've been a long time shopper at Walmarts over the years. What

troubles me is that, knowing how the chemicals that produce the fragrance in products such as air freshners, laundry products, and personal care products are very unhealthy for

people over the long haul, why isn't Walmart leading out in

providing safer alternatives for shoppers? There is so much fragrance in so many products now, that just walking through

the store aisles gives one a headache! Time for Walmarts to be

a leader in that department, as well!!

Thanks

Another environmental opportunity is water conservation.  Water Pik offers several water saving showerheads at Wal-Mart that help extend our natural water resources and reduce water consumption. 

By using an Eco Flow showerhead consumers can save over $130.00 per year in total energy savings and still get all the power and performance of a regular showerhead. Save money, Save Water a great conbination.

I have been buying CFL bulbs from Wal-Mart for a couple years now, mostly the 60w equivalent type, both branded and 'generic.'  The major problem with them is that they do not come close to the stated 5 year life span.  More like 6-12 months.  It is very disappointing that Wal-Mart is not staying on top of it's Chinese vendor quality for a product category it has fronted as a "green" initiative.

BTW, it is nice to have a spot to comment to WM's buyers on products.  Some products scream out for customer feedback for quality or other reasons, some of which might not be captured in returns data.

I second the suggestion of putting the $1 bags at the cash registers!!  Great that you have them, but even better if they are placed at the "point of necessity"  On a recent trip to Germany plastic bags were not even an option, but for $1 you could buy a canvas bag which were placed right at the check out.   With a bit of help from some talented designers, you can make these bags fashionable and attractive so that they can be used at home for other purposes as well.

And yet Walmart continues to clear cut Cypress forests along the Gulf of Mexico to be turned into mere garden mulch although sustainable alternatives are available.

I refuse to shop at Wal-mart until they stop cutting the Cypress trees!

I would love to see WalMart do something, or at least make people more aware of the dangers of CFL bulbs.  Most consumers don't realize you can't just throw them away like normal lightbulbs.  That would result in lots of mercury getting landfilled, and (godforbid) leeching into freshwater systems. 

I know my former university has been working on mercury research, including sorbents.  It would be interesting if you could work with them to get the word out.

I agree w/ Allison.  I will not shop at Wal-Mart until they stop selling cypress mulch.  We need to use more sustainable alternatives like pine bark, melaluca, & eucalyptus.  There are countless groups that advocate the removal of cypress mulch from retailers shelfs.  Here are a few good web sites:

http://www.gulfrestorationnetwork.org/

http://www.saveourcypress.org/

http://pasco.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/mulches.htm

http://news.ufl.edu/1996/04/11/mulch/

I strongly agree with Jessica and Allison's comments.  Cypress swamps are our best natural defense against storm surge, and they provide vital natural habitat to wildlife.  By selling this product retailers like Wal-Mart are supporting clearcutting practices that are destroying our coast and putting people at risk.  Wal-Mart has stopped selling cypress mulch that is harvested and bagged in Louisiana, and this is a step in the right direction, but other Gulf states are still being exploited.  If Wal-Mart is serious about being sustainable, they'll switch to sustainable mulches.

IA about the Cypress Mulch. Yea, I know that Walmart agreed to stop selling Cypress that comes from LA, but all the bags look exactly the same. How can they be so sure? Also, it's just going to send the destruction over the forests in Georiga and Mississippi. There are so many sustainable alternatives and mulch is such a rediculous non-sustainable product. It literally just get's washed away, and they are sacrificing our countries permanent best natural storm defense for this? It makes no sesne! Walmart can not claim that they are "Green" until they stop selling Cypress Mulch!

Clearly the verdict is out, Cypress Mulch is bad for the environment. Storm surge protection, land reclamation, water remediation, sustaining biodiversity, habitat loss, sustainable resource use, ... the litany of infractions is long and very clear.

So, why is Wal-Mart continuing to carry this product? Because it is profitable! Not enough people are willing to make conscientious environmental decisions in their daily shopping regimens, they fail to grasp the immediate and long-term threats it imposes, they simply want to save a few dollars in their headlong rush into cosumerism and that American consumers are generally poorly informed of the issues relating to their purchasing trends.

The true irony of it all is that Mulch, whether derived from rubber or cypress trees, is a luxury item. Mulch is used almost purely for personal aesthetic reasons, so called 'beautification', and to reduce the workload necessary to care for a garden or yard. The looming recession should certainly see a decrease in demand for mulch. 

I do not think that it is necessary to decrease the demand for mulch as Jef said.  It is not really a luxury item.  When applied properly mulch is excellent at protecting soils.  Good mulches, such as yard waste (which is free, either from your yard or from the dump) can actually help add nutrients back into the soil.  Mulches are also excellent at decrease ersoision and maintaining proper soil moisture.  The solution here is not to decrease the amount of mulch used, but to be better informed on which types of mulch to use.  Obviously cypress mulch is unsustainable and should not be used, but other forms like melaluca (an invasive species that is destroying the Everglades) or yard waste are beneficial to the environment.  The best thing to do is be an informed consumer.

I stopped shopping at walmart years ago, But I'll telling everyone I know about the cypress mulch situation. Walmart should be a leader in sunstainable products, with the companies power and prestige. Also I have lots of invase Bamboo plants growing in my back yard, Im sure if you mixed it with the right stuff it would make great mulch. walmart is welcome to take my bamboo!

Florida is my home, so it is important to me that WalMart should protect cypress swamps in Florida, as well as Louisiana.

I use mulch made from invasive melaleuca trees, which are a menace to the Everglades and other natural areas in South Florida, so destroying them for mulch is a good thing. Melaleuca mulch is much better than cypress mulch — it lasts longer and does a better job keeping weeds out. I'd like to see WalMart sell this product.