Around May or June of this year (it was definitely before summer break started) I was shopping at Wal-Mart and observed some organic linens in the home goods section. It caught me by surprise because Wal-Mart really never struck me as the type of retailer to carry "green" products. As the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart's brand is synomous with rock bottom prices that have often garnered raised eyebrows about their strategies in obtaining those prices. There is no denying that Wal-Mart is familiar with controversy. The Wal-Mart/China relationship has widely been speculated and debated on how ethical that connection is.

I like Wal-Mart and I shop there regularly. All the hoopla and controversy I take with a grain of salt. No, I'm not a fan of China made products and avoid them at all cost. Having said that I don't believe Wal-Mart would knowingly support unethical business and or labour practices at the hands of China. However, I wouldn't have thought of shopping Wal-Mart for environmentally conscious products.

As it appears, Wal-Mart is on a mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its shelves. And it has recruited scholars, suppliers, and environmental groups to help it create an electronic indexing system to do that.

According to Michael T. Duke, Wal-Mart CEO/President, “We have to change how we make and sell products...We have to make consumption itself smarter and sustainable.”

Sound a little scary to you? The potential for greenwashing could be HUGE! Honestly, I think it awesome. The potential for good in my opinion far outweighs the potential for bad and I say "Kudos!" to Wal-Mart for this move. This effort could be the catalyst we need to sharply drive down the unreasonable prices in eco-friendly products. Moreover, what other giant retailer is making this move? There aren't any that I know of, do you?

Credits: NyTimes.com

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