Crapmuffins

Hubs and I recently made a late-night trip to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple of things we needed early the next morning. As has been the custom as-of-late in our trips to the mega-superstore, we left with a sort of disgust that makes us thankful for places like Target and local stores where people actually smile and customer service is just that.

I think I have a love-hate relationship with Wal-Mart. On the one hand, I think they’re a force to be reckoned with, have a unique status in their ability to drastically affect markets, and CHEAP. Oh the CHEAPNESS that comes from Wal-Mart. On the other hand, a lot is sacrificed in obtaining those low-low prices, and sometimes it’s just not worth it. The retail chain has been widely criticized for anti-environmental practices and poor labor standards. And yet, Wal-Mart seems to be trying to change that. And if they can change, so can a lot of other companies. And those other companies will.

I’m glad to see this idea of a green rating scheme to go along with a bigger push to carry organics and more environmentally-friendly products. It may not be enough to convince people to shop there, though, so long as the cashiers are scowling and unhelpful and so long as other less-than-stellar practices continue.

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Is Wal-Mart turning over a new leaf? It looks like they’re trying. According to The New York Times, Wal-Mart is on a mission to go green, developing a universal rating system that scores each of their products on its social and environmental impact — kind of like green nutrition labels. They apparently intend to go beyond the standard sustainability concerns, like emissions and water conservation, and actually delve into more complex questions, like “Did this T-shirt come from a cotton crop that was sprayed with pesticide?” and “Was excessive packaging used to ship these diapers?”

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