|
||||||||||||||||
|
Our Initiatives Buying Green Power Walmart Canada has chosen to go green with bullfrogpower™ because carbon-free electricity is an easy way to do our part to help fight climate change and create a healthier environment for future generations. Walmart is a "vanguard" purchaser of bullfrogpower™; we are one of Canada's largest commercial consumers of green energy. Locations which are bullfrogpowered: Ontario Home Office in Mississauga Alberta 2 SuperCentres in Edmonton British Columbia 1 SuperCentre in Vancouver Bullfrogpower™ would like to extend a discount to all Walmart customers. If you would like to purchase clean energy for your home, please enter "walmart-green" in the promo-code field on their sign-up form. Learn more about bullfrogpower™ Building Greener Stores for the Future Walmart Canada is developing stores that are 30% more energy efficient than those built in 2005. Here are a few select environmental sustainability measures in use in our stores. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) New stores use highly efficient rooftop HVAC units. This technology uses modern refrigerant (R410) which has no CFCs. New stores will reclaim heat rejected from the refrigeration systems and use it for space heating (beginning 2009 openings). Refrigeration Our food refrigeration saves energy and incorporates new technologies: exceptionally efficient refrigeration systems utilizing refrigerant R404A which has no CFCs; re-designed compressors to use less energy; film on glass to eliminate fogging and the energy-intensive heated doors used by most retailers; night covers to capture cold air in open refrigerators, reducing need for off-hour energy consumption; LED lighting with motion detectors to turn off when customers are not present. Temperature Control To better manage energy use, store heating and cooling is controlled centrally including temperature set points. In-store carbon dioxide monitors determine the need for ventilation to ensure energy-intensive heating and cooling is only used as needed – not constantly, as is the practice in most large retail buildings. Lighting By using LED lights in our storefront signs, refrigerators and product display cases, we have cut related energy use by as much as 90%. By replacing sales floor light bulbs (1.75 million nationwide) to a lower wattage alternative, we have cut related energy use by more than 20%. By reducing summertime lighting by 1/3 in our stores, we cut carbon emissions by more than 4,500 tonnes in 2007 alone, helping control summer smog conditions and aiding the stability of local power grids. Roofing White roofing membranes reflect almost 90% of sunlight from our stores, reducing our need for peak-load summer air conditioning. This technology reduces the “heat island” effect common with large, dark surfaces. Enhanced R25 roofing insulation has reduced our winter heat loss by 20% on average. Renewable Energy Walmart Canada is one of the nation’s largest commercial purchaser of green power, offsetting coal and nuclear power with wind and low-impact hydro alternatives. In addition to existing purchases from bullfrogpower™, the company is actively considering geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaic solar systems, wind and other renewable energy technologies. Reducing Packaging We estimate that just 8% of Walmart’s overall environmental footprint is related to our operations; 92% is related to the products we sell. To reduce materials, transportation and landfill, Walmart is working with suppliers to reduce packaging by at least 5% by 2013. Diverting Waste Most products are shipped in plastic film or cardboard boxes, which combine to make up more than 50% of store waste. In 2007, Walmart Canada diverted and recycled 87,905 tons of this waste. That’s the equivalent of almost saving 1.5 million trees worth of cardboard or eliminating 25,000 garbage truck loads from going to municipal landfills. Our new stores include waste management systems that divert up to 65% of all waste. Consumer Waste Through new training, monitoring and receptacles, Walmart stores support multi-stream waste management for customers and associates. We are working with government and environmental groups to introduce new recycling programs for disposal of products such as compact fluorescent lights bulbs and consumer electronics. Plastic Bags In 2008, Walmart Canada reduced the size and gauge of plastic shopping bags to save an estimated two million pounds of plastic resin in one year. Within months of introducing and promoting an affordable reusable shopping bag, the company has already reduced plastic bag use by 4%. For customers who continue to prefer plastic bags, Walmart will recycle returned bags (from any retailer). Also in 2008, Walmart Canada committed to reducing plastic shopping bag waste by 50% by 2013. Consumer Product Options We have committed to stocking more environmentally sustainable products, maintaining our promise of everyday low prices. We believe customers shouldn’t have to choose between products they can afford and products that are good for the environment. In stores nationwide, we are promoting more than 500 varieties of green products certified by third-party experts with our For the Greener Good logo. Innovation At Walmart we know we have to do more to meet our very aggressive sustainability goals. That is why we have established sustainability networks to review literally everything we do – including store design. As a result, we now use concrete floors to reduce the use of chlorine-based floor tiles and reduce the need for harsh cleaning chemicals; we have installed motion-sensing faucets in our stores which reduce water consumption 22%; we do not include ceilings in most store areas to reduce materials; and we expect to continue introducing change. At the same time, we are looking at new technologies – including various renewable energy sources to make our stores more efficient.
|
||||||||||||||||
