Wal-Mart's proposed environmental policy and consumer transparency standards

Wal-Mart

An Environmental Policy Statement for Wal-Mart

Basic policy statement

As an international retailer, Wal-Mart will make a long-term commitment to protecting the world's environment in the future, as well as continuing to provide its customers with the lowest prices, all of the time. Wal-Mart acknowledges the customer's right to be informed of how the products the consumer is purchasing were produced, where these products are produced, and if they were produced in an ethically and environmentally acceptable manner, depending on the consumer's own personal standards of quality. This includes, but is not limited to, informing the customer of the nation where the products available for purchase were manufactured in a clear and easy-to-find fashion, identifying products that are organic or have a particular nutritional status (low fat, low sugar, Fair Trade, etc.) in an accurate manner, and Wal-Mart's making a commitment to manufacture its own products in a way that is minimally damaging to the environment.

American government guidelines will be adhered to in setting the standards for Wal-Mart's guidelines in observing such manufacturing and informative standards, such as what constitutes an organic product, while it will be assumed that all consumers wish to take some role proactive environmental protection.

Justification for the policy

Wal-Mart acknowledges its role as the world's largest retailer. It knows that its company's outreach has touched millions of lives, and make a quality life more feasible for consumers, because of its low prices and variety of quality products. In light of Wal-Mart's success and dominance of the international marketplace, the company acknowledges that it must make a commitment to the long-term improvement of the planet, as well as to its shareholders. In honor of its customer's loyalty, it strives to keep its customers informed in an ethically acceptable fashion about the products they purchase.

How the policy is to be implemented

Wal-Mart will refuse to allow products manufactured in an environmentally unacceptable fashion at its stores that are not currently consistent with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) safety guidelines. Also, it will encourage suppliers to create more innovative products that contain additional protections for the environment than currently exist at present by doing business with these suppliers in bulk, if such products are generated. It will also devote some of its research and development funds for new products to creating more environmentally friendly products, and generating more environmentally friendly processes of production.

Who is responsible for implementing the policy?

Wal-Mart owners and managers are responsible for making sure these guidelines are kept in place, and employees and Wal-Mart shoppers are encouraged to make company staff aware of any violations that they see, that might go unnoticed by company inspections of branches of the store.

How the policy will be evaluated

Company management will ascertain compliance with the above guidelines. Products must meet FDA standards regarding accurate labeling and thus the government will provide additional surveillance.

Guidelines of the policy

Wal-Mart stands by consumer awareness and choice, and products must be labeled in the store and on their packaging in an ethically acceptable and non-misleading manner.

If alternative manufacturing strategies that are not damaging to the environment are available, Wal-Mart will chose companies that pursue such strategies over companies that do not use such alternative strategies.