If you are like me, you probably still have the impression that there is a fundamental conflict between the concept of companies meeting their profit goals and their ability to implement initiatives that support the environment and sustainability.
Consequently, I actually felt a flicker of real hope when I read about Walmart's initiative, started back in 2005, to reduce the amount of cardboard used across its product line up that not only helped reduce waste ending up in landfills but also saved the company $3.4 billion a year.
Walmart has since brought in "eco-friendly consultants who have helped find innovative ways to reduce waste almost everywhere, from the use of chemicals to something as simple as installing electrical generators in the trucking fleet so that refrigerated trucks don't have to idle overnight." Walmart also found that they could sell local, organic cotton T-shirts just as cheaply as imported, chemical-laden shirts, so they did.
What makes all of this even better is that Walmart realized that not could it be profitable to 'go green' but that the majority of it consumers were women and they would start turning their backs on the retailer if they didn't get with the program.
This is a definite mojo maker for Walmart and for all retailers and manufacturers who are still claiming that you can't go green without loosing a lot of the green that comes in bills.
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