Sustainability

Leading Midwestern retailer Shopko has reopened its garden centers and has reiterated its commitment to environmental sustainability as the world marks this year’s Earth Day.

Kroger is inviting customers to celebrate Earth Day by looking to the sea — and to the future of seafood — through a video series designed to inform customers about the company's work to source sustainable seafood.

"We know that our customers value our commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood," said Suzanne Lindsay-Walker, Kroger's director of sustainability. "We continue to work with fisheries and our supplier partners to ensure that Kroger's seafood is fresh, delicious and available for future generations."

Hershey achieved many of its sustainability goals more quickly than planned and the efforts of product lifecyle and reverse logistics leader GENCO illustrate how Hershey made it happen.

Washington, D.C. — Simon Property Group and NRG eVgo (ee-vee-go), a subsidiary of NRG Energy will host an amped-up Earth Day Electric Car Caravan to unveil three new electric car fast-charging Freedom Station sites at St. Charles Towne Center, Bowie Town Center and Queenstown Premium Outlets in Maryland. The caravan will attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies at each center on April 22.

Whole Foods is experimenting with transforming food waste generated at stores into organic fertilizer by using a piece of equipment called the WISErg Harvester.

The Harvester is a piece of equipment with a footprint about the size of a typical pallet that promises to change the way retailers dispose of food waste. The Harvester unit ingests food scraps from overripe produce and unsold prepared foods and converts them into a liquid that can be made into an organic fertilizer.

Seattle -- REI has committed to having all of its electricity from renewable sources. The retailer already has 26 solar electric systems generating clean power and a program designed to invest in energy efficiency. Now, REI is buying certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) as part of its strategy to green the energy that powers more than 130 stores, two distribution centers and its headquarters.

William Blair & Company analyst Mark Miller has followed Walmart for a long time, but he didn’t have much good to say about the company when he issued a downgrade this week.

Miller lowered his rating on Walmart to underperform from market perform and cited some familiar and unfamiliar concerns. For example, one of his main concerns related to Walmart’s size and complexity which he contends reduces dynamism and growth.

Madison, Wis. -- Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities' statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, recognized Walgreens’ strong efforts in 2013 for reducing its energy usage across Wisconsin through the Chain Stores and Franchises Program.

Focus on Energy recently presented Walgreens representatives with a $500,000 incentive check at the Edison Electric Institute National Key Accounts Workshop in Orlando, Fla.