Environmental Sustainability

Wal-Mart's Greenwash, a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, suggests "Wal-Mart's sustainability campaign has done more to improve the company's image than to help the environment."

Wal-Mart's heavily promoted sustainability initiatives have done more to improve the company's image than to help the environment, according to research by the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Leading High Street retailer Marks & Spencer has announced that it will be supporting the Marine Conservation Society in cleaning up British beaches this spring. The first-ever Marks & Spencer Big British Cleanup will take place between May 11 and May 13 at 50 locations around the country. 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and The Home Depot launched an online green home products database that features products geared toward green home building, including items that could earn USGBC LEED for Homes points.

Nike has unveiled Netherlands’ new Away National Team Kit just in time for the London Olympic Games. The soccer jerseys, made of 100 percent recycled materials, is one of the most eco-friendly sportswear lines to date, in keeping with the brand's commitment to superior athletic performance and lower environmental impact.

Ikea Canada's new 334,000-square-foot store is set to open in April and will incorporate many sustainable and environmental features, including a geothermal installation that will heat and cool part of the building. The building will also feature an edible rooftop garden for co-workers, as well as water storage and filtration systems that will reduce storm water flows and volume. 

Target announced that by late 2012 it would stop carrying any products that have been sandblasted during the manufacturing process. Target, which operates 1,762 stores, has teamed with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to investigate responsible sourcing solutions.

Fifty-one percent of Ikea's energy is now derived from renewable resources, up from 47 percent in the prior fiscal year, according to the company's 2011 sustainability report. In the past fiscal year, Ikea installed solar panels on 40 buildings in seven countries and 60 wind turbines produced 152 gigawatt hours of "green" electricity this year, equivalent to around 12 percent of the electricity needed to run all Ikea stores and distribution centers.

Tesco is making headlines for actions that relate to its corporate citizenship stance. To start, the brand has decided to ditch its participation in an "eco-labeling" scheme which was aimed to calculate the carbon footprint of each product slapped with a "carbon-reduction" label provided by Carbon Trust.

Mountain Gear took the challenge of a reduced footprint to an extraordinary length — when the company had outgrown its corporate offices and distribution center, it took over an abandoned manufacturing facility.