Earlier this year, I was filled with youthful enthusiasm (well, at least enthusiasm) and blogged about all the things I was going to do to live greener. While I made progress with recycling, my first attempts at composting did not work so well. Rather than persevering, I stopped. So now, when I go into the backyard, the composter sits there, staring at me -- a monument to my failure. Obviously, I need some inspiration to get back into the green spirit!
Thankfully, Frito-Lay and Wal-Mart have both made significant progress in their sustainability initiatives. From using solar power to produce SunChips at our plant in Modesto, Calif., to reducing our water usage across the board by 40 percent over the last 10 years, to adding fuel-efficient sprinter trucks to our fleet system, Frito-Lay continues to make progress on our mission to conserve and preserve the environment.
Wal-Mart is bringing impressive sustainability progress to the table too, by developing and implementing with their partners a Sustainability Index, an initiative to help create a more transparent supply chain, drive product innovation and ultimately provide their customers with information they need to assess products’ sustainability.
In July, Rand Waddoups, Wal-Mart’s Senior Director of Sustainability, blogged on Check Out about the company’s strategy to kick-off the Index this year: Wal-Mart started by asking its partner companies, including Frito-Lay, to answer 15 questions about each organization’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. (You can read more about the complete Sustainability Index process on the Wal-Mart Web site, and I’ll be back with updates here on Snack Chat as they accomplish additional steps.)
"The Sustainability Index is really a lifecycle analysis, more than a traditional survey, because it assesses an organization’s complete carbon footprint -- from raw materials to finished product packaging waste,” Jack Pettijohn (pictured left), Frito-Lay's Senior Manager of Sustainability told me, who helped Frito-Lay complete the questionnaire earlier this month. “Frito-Lay is already in the forefront of environmental sustainability, and we welcome partnering with Wal-Mart to help accelerate this commitment. Since Wal-Mart maintains the unique position of being able to influence the entire industry, we think our sustainability partnership with it can help accelerate both companies’ efforts."
According to Rand, the Sustainability Index is just the first step in Wal-Mart’s journey toward the company’s long-term goals: To have zero waste; to use 100 percent renewable energy; and to bring more sustainable products to their customers.
Wal-Mart's goal, Frito-Lay’s sustainability progress and our partnership with Wal-Mart are admirable and ambitious. Personally, I know I need to continue making small steps to go greener, and not give up so easily when things don’t go as planned. So, in the spring, I'll dust off the composter and give it another try.
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