Walmart Links Sustainable Suppliers to Customers

Walmart Links Sustainable Suppliers to Customers

Feb. 26, 2015
The Sustainability Leaders shop on Walmart.com helps customers identify which brands and suppliers are leading the way in sustainability.

Walmart announced on February 25 the debut of its Sustainability Leaders shop, an online shopping portal linking sustainable suppliers to customers.

The Sustainable Leaders shop on Walmart.com is the first step in helping our customers identify which brands and suppliers are leading the way in sustainability,” explained Neil Ashe CEO of Walmart Global eCommerce. “Our customers can trust us to work with suppliers who have an ongoing commitment to both sustainability and affordability.”

The Sustainability Leaders shop is the customer-facing iteration of Walmart's Sustainability Index, launched in 2009 in collaboration with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC).

Until now, the Sustainability Index, which gathers and analyzes information about a supplier’s approach to managing its social and environmental impact on the full lifecycle of its products, had only been a tool for Walmart and its suppliers. Over the last several years, Walmart and TSC have worked with suppliers, several leading non-profit organizations and TSC to build the Sustainability Index.

Products displayed with a badge indicate that their manufacturer ranks as best in class among other suppliers in that product category, based on their responses to detailed category surveys developed by TSC. 

The badge symbolizes that the manufacturer of that product is ranked highest among its peers within its category; or in categories where there are many leading manufacturers, products made by any manufacturer that scores over 80%, will also qualify for a badge.

Although the badge isn’t specific to the individual product’s environmental or social impact, the manufacturer and category level approach is intended to help customers identify companies leading in sustainability. 

“We’ve done the heavy lifting to empower our customers to put their money where their heart is,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, senior vice president of sustainability for Walmart. “The Sustainability Leaders shop gives customers the tools to make more informed choices, and it’s a great way for us to do good business.”

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