Wal-Mart Index - green label for products!

It’s been a while since i’ve last posted - i was away for a trip and just couldn’t keep up with quality postings! Anyway, i’m back and back to blogging about how we can/not shop our way to sustainability!

I’ve discussed Walmart’s sustainability policy before, and I’m excited to see how companies such as Walmart is enforcing some sort of environmental responsibility to their suppliers. Really it’s a win-win situation for Walmart because they really don’t need to do much other than “asking”, while getting all the credits. Personally, I’m just happy that things are moving in the right direction. 

Yesterday Walmart announced that they will be creating “green labels” to measure the social and environmental impact of the products it sells in its discount stores.  Although only 100 out of 40,000 products will bear the label in the beginning (which are the Energy Star appliances), I’m sure more will come eventually. I’ve always wanted to be making green labels for products! Now there might be some opportunities for me to dig in more!

Wal-Mart Canada’s First Environmental Demonstration Store

Wal-mart Canada opens its first Environmental Demonstration Store in Burlington Ontario in 2009.

These are some highlighted features:

• demonstration of geothermal heating and cooling technology in a large-scale Canadian retail operation – facilitated by 15 km of piping buried under parking lot ->> i love geothermal heat pumps…  i have one before moving back to Vancouver!  see more here. It’s pretty crazy to have 15km of pipes.  i’ll do a little RETScreen study on it, i’m pretty sure even with this much piping there is not enough heating/cooling for the entire store… 
• Daylight harvesting system using skylights to refract daylight throughout the store; light sensors monitor the amount of natural light available and rise, dim or turn off lighting as needed 
• bought green power from Bullfrog Power ->> yes, buy our selves to sustainability!
• In-floor radiant heating and cooling system circulates water to transfer heat and cold instead of air vents
• Environmentally preferable CO2 refrigeration system ->> i wonder what is Wal-mart’s cooling/heating load!
• Heat from refrigeration system captured and reused to heat store
• Energy-saving motion-activated LED lights in refrigerator and freezer cases reduces energy use ->> these are AWESOME…  best for kids running across the whole freezer case hall and light everything up!
• Low-wattage parking lot lights as well as LED external signs reduce energy use
• White roof membrane deflects sunlight by an estimated 85 per cent  ->> this supposely reduce heat island effect…  and lowers cooling cost!
• Increased insulation on the roof reduces heat and cooling loss

There are some more features that you can see in this article.  It looks like it’s build to LEED standard by reading these features…. There is no LEED for retail (yet) and maybe that’s why they have not decided to go for LEED… who knows.  it also costs money to be LEED certified!