Sustainability

Bentonville, Ark. -- As part of its answer on Tuesday to a New York Times article regarding compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Wal-Mart Stores VP corporate communications David Tovar announced that the retailer had appointed a global officer to oversee compliance.

The move is just one of the steps that Tovar outlined toward managing issues related to the 1970s law that forbids bribing foreign officials.

Wal-Mart has not yet identified the person who will fill the slot, or when it will be activated.
 

Landfill operators got some bad news this week when Walmart said it prevented 81% of waste generated by U.S. stores from going to landfills. That nugget is just one example of the progress Walmart has made on its broad sustainability agenda and was among numerous others contained in the company’s 5th annual Global Responsibility Report released this week.

Walmart held another one of its sustainability milestone meetings this week and webcast the event live from the auditorium at its home office. By the time the hour-and-a-half event was over the senior executives who participated had delivered a clear and consistent message around the company’s wide-ranging sustainability efforts.

NEW YORK — Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, has launched AnnCares360, a program in partnership with Good360, the nonprofit leader in product philanthropy. The program will facilitate the donation of available displays, marketing items, and fixtures to local charities that support women and children.

Through the program, all Ann Inc. stores can enter valued, reusable goods into a tracking system that will link to Good360's online product donation marketplace and its network of more than 26,000 charities.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. is making strides on the sustainability front, with six of its newest supermarkets earning the EPA GreenChill Gold Award for meeting tough environmental standards and using ozone friendly refrigerants. These GreenChill store certifications are valid for one year, and four of these Stater Bros. Supermarkets also received GreenChill Gold Awards in 2011.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Two Weis stores containing a new, environmentally efficient design have earned environmental certifications awards from the GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, a voluntary Environmental Protection Agency alliance with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change, the grocer announced Wednesday.

CINCINNATI — Ahead of Earth Day, a number of retailers have been touting their sustainable efforts. The latest example is Kroger, which has released a video highlighting some of its accomplishments and showcasing some of its future goals.

The video features both store associates and customers who speak about how much Kroger has already done--from reducing waste and plastic bag use--and what the company can do more of--from making it easier to find organic products to donating more fresh produce to charity.

Deerfield, Ill. – Walgreens affirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability, innovative technology and renewable energy initiatives during Earth Week 2012. Currently, the drugstore chain has 134 solar panel installations at its stores, distribution centers and corporate headquarters.

West Bridgewater, Mass. -- Five Shaw’s Supermarkets in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, have reached a major environmental milestone in the company’s “zero waste” program by diverting over 90% of all store waste from local landfills.

The environmental impact of the five stores has been significant:

New York -- Ann Inc., the parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, announced the launch of AnnCares360, a program in partnership with Good360, a nonprofit leader in product philanthropy. The program will facilitate the donation of available displays, marketing items, and fixtures to local charities that support women and children.