Wal-Mart’s Green Plan

Though Wal-Mart is often controversial, the mega store’s latest move is toward transparency. Consumers may be able to know how good a product is (or isn’t) for the environment just from reading its label. Wal-Mart executives are looking to create a universal system that rates exactly how environmentally and socially sustainable products are. Ideally, each item will include information about its carbon footprint, the gallons of water used to produce it, and the air pollution created by its making and shipping. Working in the same manner nutrition information does, Wal-Mart’s goal is for this rating system to be universal among all retailers. There’s no word yet on whether meat and dairy products will be labeled in the same manner. Now wouldn’t that be good?