Value chain

Most of our environmental impact is on our supply chain; hence in cooperation with our suppliers, we undertake the commitment to reduce our impact while offering quality products at accessible prices.

The mutual aid from our suppliers and other organizations is fundamental to make greater progress towards a more sustainable supply chain. For us, there are no competitors on sustainability issues, the addition of efforts and resources may lead to more significant changes.

Workshops on exchange of best practices

As a follow up to sustainability forums, Together for a Better Planet in 2010 and 2013, we organized 4 workshops to exchange best practices among companies: logistics, sustainable packaging, carbon footprint measurement and the communication of sustainability initiatives to customers.

Eco-Efficient SMEs

In Mexico, a program on Eco-Efficiency Consultancy for SMEs was launched. Its objective is to develop eco-efficiency projects that decrease operative costs by means of a more efficient use of energy, water and raw materials. The program was developed and is operated by the Global Institute for Sustainability sponsored by the Technological Institute of Monterrey.

Innovation Award

In cooperation with the Iberoamerican University, we granted the Walmart + Ibero Sustainable Innovation Award for the second consecutive year. A total of 231 projects were presented by students throughout 26 states.

The winner project was Acuaponia (Aquaponics), a sustainable biomimetic crop, consisting on combining hydroponics with aquaculture, or raising aquatic animals such as fish, to create a highly sustainable system that does not generate waste. The model imitates an ecosystem similar to a Chinampa (a method of Mesoamerican agriculture), when biogeochemical cycles are closed the process is self-sustainable and does not require fertilizers, thus generating organic food.

Products

Initiatives developed by our suppliers allow us to offer over 1,500 products that have managed to reduce their impact in one or more of their life cycles. Among others, there are products cultivated through sustainable agricultural practices, those manufactured using less energy or water, those made with recycled materials, and even products that when used required less energy than their previous versions or similar ones.

A pilot test on the Product Sustainability Index was performed. This is a tool that identifies the most significant environmental impacts of products in their different categories and the actions to reduce such impact. Focusing on the life cycle, the tool aims at achieving improvements in those stages where a significant change can be made for each product category.

The testing stage included 4 categories: coffee, detergents, dairy products and domestic use paper. The participant companies answered a questionnaire related to the environmental impact areas of their products, so as to identify achievements and areas of opportunity.

These types of initiatives allow us to increase our assortment of products with low environmental impact and a similar or better performance than their current versions.