Businesses Boost Eco Action During Earth Month
Posted by Kelly Smith on Thu, Apr 08, 2010
For many businesses, April 22's Earth Day has expanded into Earth Month. Companies such as Whole Foods Market, Walmart, and Aveda have come up with projects and products to inspire customers with environmentally friendly ideas all month long.
Walmart, for example, has displays in every U.S. store that feature packages of candy right next to products made from candy wrappers, such as notebooks, purses, and even kites. These innovative recycled products come from a company called Terracycle, which pays consumers to send their trash. Terracycle takes consumer waste such as Skittles wrappers, Capri Sun drink pouches, and Lays potato chip bags and creates fashionable backpacks, tote bags, pencil cases, gift wrap, and much more. These products can be purchased at Walmart and many other retail stores.
Walmart has already impressed consumers with its new push for environmentally sound business practices such as its new Sustainability Index, which looks more closely at the impact of the products they sell. Their Earth Month partnership with Terracycle is another step in the right direction.
Whole Foods Market, which is even more well known for its sustainable business practices, features green trivia games, a special April calendar with daily activities to make a difference, and special Earth Month offers. Consumers and businesses look to Whole Foods Market as an example of what a green company looks like on a daily basis. Whole Foods Market was a pioneer in offsetting their energy use with green power, purchasing Renewable Energy Credits from wind farms. In addition to battling climate change, Whole Foods Market encourages consumer use of reusable bags, purchase of organic and sustainable products, and more.
Such companies as Whole Foods Market and Walmart are showing leadership in the changing world of green business, as more and more people realize the importance of focusing on sustainability not just on Earth Day, but every day.