A company long vilified for its business practices and low prices is starting to concentrate on their environmental impact. Walmart has a couple green projects started and underway at some of their locations. Some of the featured changes they are working on are vest recycling, solar panels, and green roofs. In addition to in store changes, Walmart has recently joined forces with the Clinton Climate Initiative creating a partnership to “help bring environmentally-friendly technologies to cities across the United States and around the world.”

When Walmart changed their dress code from the familiar blue vest to polo shirts and khaki’s, they decided to be responsible in the disposal of the vests. The partnered with a recycling company, Sustainable Solutions and greeting card giants Hallmark to use the vests to create holiday cards that oversea troops could use to send to their family and friends. Also, the VFW distributed cards as part of their “Adopt a Unit” program.

In 2006, Walmart created a green roof on top of one of the Chicagoland stores and very soon they are going to be opening the first of their new energy efficient super stores in Romeoville Illinois. The store, one of three in existence currently, boasts that it will use 25% less energy than the regular stores. The store was announced at the National Retail Federation recently where Leslie Dach, Walmart’s chief of government and public relations said: ““At Walmart, there is no conflict between the business model of everyday low prices and everyday low costs, and being a more sustainable company. And I bet that’s true for the business model of every retailer in this room.”

Solar panels have already been installed at a Hawaii store with plans to add the panels to more stores in Hawaii and 22 stores in California. The store estimates that about 15% of their energy will come from these panels.

So whatever your feelings on the mega retail Giant, they are started to look at their impact on the environment in their business model.