First there was the article in the September 20 Wall Street Journal about Wal-Mart selling its own brand of compact fluorescent light bulbs as the backbone of its strategy to sell more environmentally friendly products.
Yesterday, Wal-Mart announced plans to sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent products in its stores and their Sam’s Clubs. This program, they say, will save more than 400 million gallons of water, 95 million pounds of plastic and 125 million pounds of cardboard. Wal-Mart is also working with suppliers to increase efficiency standards and reduce energy consumed in the purchase, manufacturing and distribution of seven specific products: DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners and soda.
If the world’s largest retailer can sneeze – perhaps other retailers will catch on to what they are doing.
