Walmart's Sustainability 360

1. Wal-Mart’s existence is beneficial for society in many ways. One reason is because the company is working to improve economic conditions for families, and communities, by creating new jobs, and by generating tax revenue that supports important things like education and transportation projects. Another reason is the selling of sustainable products at competitive prices, which helps consumers reduce their consumption of energy, resulting in money savings, and at the same time, the protection of the environment. For example, Wal-Mart stocks, and has sold 350 million fluorescent light bulbs in the United States alone, which lead to consumers saving $13 billion over the life of the bulbs.
2. Wal-Mart’s powerful position hinders business owners because the company puts them out of business, transforms middle class retail jobs into lower-paying jobs that lack benefits, and increases welfare. Economists stated that Wal-Mart business practices caused a loss of $4.7 billion in wages for workers in the retail sector.
3. Wal-Mart had many criticisms leveled against it, and so in return, the company came up with a sustainability program called “Sustainability 360”. Reducing waste, increasing productivity, improving communities, and inspiring innovation, will help save the company, and the consumer, money. Wal-Mart claims to provide new markets for small businesses. Furthermore, Wal-Mart’s Financial Services provides low-cost options, including prepaid credit cards, and check cashing. In addition, Wal-Mart makes charitable contributions to organizations in the U.S, and it’s employees volunteer at charity events within their communities. Finally, the selling of sustainable products at competitive prices will help consumers save money, while helping protect the environment. We can tell that the company was making progress toward its stated goal by maintaining a sustainable workforce, and providing a combination of pay, benefits, and opportunities, such as healthcare