RIT Symposium Conclusions

May 28, 2008 by Brian Butler | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o, Overview

The Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard is but one of many metrics/scorecards/calculators used in regard to sustainable practices. The findings of this workshop were that there were conflicting interests at play that make the use of the scorecard challenging. Additionally, there was a consensus view that the scorecard could effect the supply chain in both directions (“up and down the supply chain”), however, the scorecard has a scope that is somewhat limited in that it currently only applies to North America. Some issues that were also discussed was that there must be dedicated resources in order to use the scorecard, it is challenging to develop common terminology when using the scorecard, and unfortunately the number of scorecard uploads has not met expectations since the inception of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard.

You can view the symposium powerpoint HERE.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in Potsdam

May 4, 2008 by NEIL MILLER | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

This is a case study I found that describes the environmental impact of a new wal-mart “super center” proposed for Potsdam, New York. I thought this was a very through look at every aspect of how the building of a store along affects a community, without taking into account the products they sell and how [...]

RESEARCH: Packaging Pro’s Rate Wal-Mart’s Scorecard

April 27, 2008 by LAUREN KERWAWYCZ and NEIL MILLER | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Packaging Pro’s Rate Wal-Mart’s Scorecard
Wal-Mart is big, very big. There is no denying it and many are aware that the retail giant is going to be making waves in industry. Wal-Mart may be taking on these sustainability initiatives to improve their image. Wal-Mart could also be genuinely committed to protecting the global environment. Many are taking [...]

RESEARCH: Wal-Mart Sustainability Campaign Makes Bad Business Sense

by LAUREN KERWAWYCZ | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Wal-Mart Sustainability Campaign Makes Bad Business SenseWal-Mart Sustainability Campaign Makes Bad Business Sense
This article builds on Emily’s previous post regarding how Wal-Mart’s sustainability initiatives have received negative feedback along with the positive. A survey taken by American’s Research Group found that only only one third of consumers care about environmentally friendly products and that onyl 16% are [...]

Topic For Discussion

April 24, 2008 by Brian Butler , John Morelli , LAUREN KERWAWYCZ , and NEIL MILLER | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Anju, John, and I were reviewing the discussion thus far regarding the impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard and we are suggesting that possible topics for the symposium workshop could be:

What does the environmental manager need to know about the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard in order to gain leverage to move his or her company toward [...]

Possible Topic Goals - Wal-Mart Scorecard

April 20, 2008 by Emily Ryan | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

From my area of interest regarding the Wal-Mart scorecard, I would like to see the following topics discussed in our collaboratory. This would supplement the topics presented by the moderator: focus on how an EM works within the supply chain to contribute to the successful resolution to reduction initiatives.
- How Wal-Mart can take advantage of [...]

Nine Steps to Greater Packaging Profitability, Sustainability

by Emily Ryan | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Smorch, P. “Nine steps to greater profitability, sustainability. ” Packaging Digest 1 Mar. 2007: 46-48. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. RIT Lib., Rochester, NY.. 20 Apr. 2008
This article from Packaging Digest reviews ways that a company can leverage the Wal-Mart scorecard requirements to gain competitive advantage and differentiation in other areas. Most of the nine categories (1. [...]

Wal-Mart: Sustainability Progress to Date 2007–2008

April 13, 2008 by Brian Butler , Emily Ryan , , LAUREN KERWAWYCZ and NEIL MILLER | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Wal-Mart: Sustainability Progress to Date 2007–2008
The Wal-Mart Sustainability Progress to Date 2007-2008 is written in four parts: the company, community, associates and environment. For the purposes of discussion please focus on the report from pages 40-59.

RBJ Environmental Leadership Symposium

April 10, 2008 by Emily Ryan | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o, General

I attended the RBJ Environmental Leadership Symposium this past Tuesday and was impressed at how much impact the Walmart Scorecard has actually had on local businesses and their environmental initiatives. In the panel on “Business Advantage to Being Green”, there were two case studies on packaging companies that have made many changes in order to [...]

Tacit knowledge - definitions and relation to EM

March 26, 2008 by Emily Ryan , LAUREN KERWAWYCZ and | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

Hello Tacit Knowledge discussion group,
To familiarize myself with this topic, I reviewed the definition of “tacit knowledge” from wikipedia and here are some points that I though could help get the discussion going:
tacit knowledge = knowledge that people carry in their minds and is therefore hard to access; it provides context for data as well, [...]

1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o

There is always risk when you’re an innovator. That’s why many persons experienced both excitement and trepidation when Wal-Mart officially implemented its packaging scorecard on Feb. 1. The company is using the scorecard to help achieve its sustainability goals of reducing waste, using renewable energy and selling sustainable products.

The scorecard requires suppliers to enter data into a program that allows Wal-Mart buyers to compare each supplier’s sustainability credentials. It has become a key tool for the retailer’s buyers to use when they make purchasing decisions.
As of the start date, Wal-Mart estimates that so far, nearly 6,400 of its vendors have submitted data on more than 97,000 products. In becoming the first major U.S. retailer to initiate such a sweeping sustainability program, Wal-Mart deserves praise. However, in the early weeks of its implementation, a lot of concern is being expressed.

Some say Wal-Mart’s primary goal is to reduce its own supply-chain costs. Others claim the scorecard will drive up suppliers’ costs as they redesign packaging and logistics. One estimate put Procter & Gamble’s cost of complying at $200 million. By Wal-Mart’s own estimates, about 20 percent of its suppliers have not yet submitted scorecard data. Most who haven’t complied are smaller vendors.

The scorecard includes several key metrics: greenhouse gas emissions; product-to-package ratio; space utilization; the amount of renewable energy used in package production; and emissions related to the distance the packaging materials are transported.

One industry consultant expressed concern that some of the metrics on which the scorecard is based are not finalized, yet buyers are making decisions based on the scorecard results. He pointed out that some materials definitions are still listed as “draft” on a website for suppliers. He also said use of renewable energy was supposed to be extra credit, yet it’s being given a 10-percent weight in each supplier’s score, which could exclude them from purchases.
Despite a yearlong testing stage before the Feb. 1 launch, Wal-Mart admits that it will need to continue refining the metrics.

Perhaps the biggest concern about the whole process is the fact that no matter what Wal-Mart does, this sustainability program will become a de facto standard for the industry—the global muscle of this retail giant commands that much attention.

So, it is important that Wal-Mart gets it right. That’s the responsibility of being a leader

["Impact of Wal-Mart scorecard creates concerns" by John Kalkowski, Editorial Director -- Packaging Digest, 3/1/2008 - http://www.packagingdigest.com/article/CA6536405.html]

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