Environment

At Walmart, when we talk about becoming a more sustainable company, we talk about investing our resources – people, time and money – into meeting our customers’ needs and expectations to ensure their support for years to come. We’re doing this by maximizing opportunities to have a positive impact on the environment and the communities we touch throughout our global supply chain. Sustainability is ingrained in our business strategy – we are minimizing waste, increasing efficiency and finding ways to support the communities and suppliers that make our business successful. Associates who are part of our Sustainable Value Networks (SVNs) work to integrate sustainable solutions into every business division, every product category and every corner of our operations. And by setting sustainability goals specific to each of our international markets, we can best address challenges and opportunities throughout our business.

Sustainability Overview
We launched our sustainability efforts in 2005, and to date have made changes that are adding real value to our business. By transitioning to renewable energy sources and improving the efficiency of our buildings and fleet, we are working to reduce our energy use and emissions. By sending our waste to recycling facilities instead of the landfill, we are making more recycled commodities available for new packaging and products. And by providing our customers with product choices that can reduce their impact on the environment, we are helping them save energy, water and money.

When we launched our sustainability program, we also set three goals that would guide our efforts to become a more responsible company. We would:

• Be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy;
• Create zero waste; and
• Sell products that sustain our resources and the environment.

These goals have acted as great guides for our business during the past four years. Our efforts, however, continue to expand and evolve as we broaden and accelerate our efforts. This year, we modified our third goal to include people and communities. Walmart touches the lives of people in cities and towns around the world – from our customers who shop at our stores and clubs, to our associates who represent our company, to the people who work for our suppliers making the products that line our shelves. As we move forward, our third broad sustainability goal will be:

• Sell products that sustain people and the environment.

In addition to updating our goals, we turned the focus of our sustainability program to increasing the transparency of our supply chain. In order to know the true impact of our business, we need to look at where products are sourced and manufactured, how they’re shipped and packaged, how they are used and ultimately what happens to the product when it’s disposed. In doing this, we are able to work more closely with our suppliers and, together, bring products to our shelves that our customers want at prices they can afford.

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