Wal-Mart Announces Plans to Evaluate Sustainability of Consumer Electronics
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.07
Long the bane of corporate social and environmental watchdogs (and not without good reason), Wal-Mart has been increasingly in the news over the past couple of years for making green strides, from selling 100 million compact fluorescent lightbulbs to offering organic food and introducing a packaging scorecard. Along those same lines, the mega-company announced last week that they have plans to evaluate consumer electronics suppliers on the environmental sustainability of their products. Beginning in 2008, Wal-Mart will ask suppliers to fill out the scorecard, giving customers the option to use the scorecard results to influence their purchasing decisions. The scorecard will evaluate electronics on energy efficiency, durability, upgradability, end-of- life solutions, and the size of the package containing the product. Products will also be evaluated on their ability to use innovative materials that reduce the amount of hazardous substances, such as lead and cadmium, contained in the product.
To encourage suppliers to start implementing the scorecard metrics into their products now, Wal-Mart is also co-sponsoring an innovative design contest with the Green Electronics Council, the same folks who brought the world EPEAT (the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool). Suppliers are encouraged to submit a consumer electronics product that puts the scorecard metrics into practice. The winner's product will be carried in Wal-Mart stores throughout the nation.
While it doesn't look like the scorecard will do much different than things like the EU's RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives, Wal-Mart's humongous size and influence in the consumer goods' marketplace has the potential to leverage change in a similar manner to that of a governmental order. While nothing has been implemented just yet, we'll be curious to see if the threat of being pulled from the mega-retailers' shelves will be enough to create the significant change in the electronics industry that US governmental regulations have failed to, to this point. Stay tuned and read the full release about Wal-Mart's new plan for more. ::PR Newswire via ::Engadget
While it's commendable that Wal-Mart is making any effort, because Joe American will shop there regardless, it does seem a little redundant. Thank you Europe, for decreasing the toxicity of some of our computers. With that said, where's CompUSA, Best Buy, and Circuit City. I know that we are a capitalistic society, but do we have to wait for businesses to make these moves...where's the government that I pay for protection?
RoHS ensures Europoeans of safer electronics and by default, Americans. But there are still many electronic products that will make it to the US that do not meet its standard.
With all due respect, this news from walmart is completely misleading! it is pretty darn easy to put the pressure on the vendor to work within the "environmental" parameters set out by walmart. however, let's just take a step back and see where the real waste is taking place! all those that are really for environmental sustainability should ask walmart about their return policies and the TRUE waste and damage to the environment this creates. Walmart has a no questions asked return policy which means that the consumer can buy a product, use it, and then decide to return (even if the product is perfectly fine). This product then either a) gets destroyed or b) is returned to the vendor. The vendor is charged walmart shipping and handling, internal administrative costs, duties, and other charges. The vendor has few options: pay up (and hence for many - go bankrupt) or take the case to court. basically - there is no option. At the end though, the product gets destroyed or sold at way below costs (bill of materials, environmental costs etc..)
If walmart REALLY cares about environmental sustainability, then cut this silly return policy. Force the consumers to think hard before buying and do not encourage them (at the cost of vendors and the environment) to "rent" the product. Sure Walmart has nothing to lose - but the environment has!! Has anyone seen Walmart Vendor Agreement??
If Walmart disagrees wit the above, then I hope that someone from their admin will come out and do so. But they will not as they know that this is SO TRUE.
Walmart is a giant and has all the power to have great positive impact on the environment. For our future generations, please wake up and do something that has impact. Make changes that have the most impact. Change this return policy, do NOT encourage irresponsible consumption, do not kill the vendors.