Environmental Sustainability

Kohl’s, Supervalu and Walgreens were among dozens of companies that joined President Obama and former President Bill Clinton this week announcing nearly $4 billion in federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next two years.

Ikea announced plans to install solar energy panels on 10 additional store locations, its entire presence in the southern United States. Pending governmental permits, installation will begin this winter, with completion expected in summer 2012.

Ikea — which uses 10 million pallets to ship products from suppliers to 287 stores worldwide — says it's replacing wooden pallets with a paper cardboard variation that's lighter and cheaper.

A protested Wal-Mart development in Toms River, N.J. will destroy habitat for the threatened northern pine snake, despite the fact that it already has a store in town — it's just a mile down the road and will be closed when the new supercenter opens.

Apparel brands including Timberland and North Face are adopting a fabric for green clothing made from a composite fiber used to make yarn that is made from coffee grounds and plastic bottles.

Amazon.com and Wal-Mart are prodding more manufacturers to change their packaging to cut waste and alleviate “wrap rage,” the frustration felt when a product is difficult to open. The retailers have been pushing vendors to eliminate excessive and cumbersome packing materials, such as hard plastic clamshell casings that enclose electronics and wire ties used to secure toys to cardboard backings.

German sport lifestyle brand PUMA is planning to build on the success of its eco-friendly sustainable packaging and recycled shoes by producing clothes and trainers that are compostable.

Best Buy is implementing a new automated energy management system in all of its 1,150 stores, which is projected to cut energy costs by 15 percent in three years. By Jan. 31 the system will be installed in 300 stores with the remaining stores nationwide to come onboard by the middle of next year, the company announced. 

Bad news: your cherished denim might not be so great for Mother Nature. Levi Strauss released a statement saying the typical pair of blue jeans consumes 919 gallons of water during its lifespan, or the equivalent of 15 spa-size bathtubs.

For the second year in a row, Office Depot was recognized in Newsweek magazine’s annual “Green Rankings” as the greenest large retailer in the U.S. Across all industry sectors, Office Depot was ranked as the U.S.' 8th greenest large company, a move up of 10 spots from last year, and was the only retailer in the U.S. Top 10 list.