retail

Bottled water isn't bad but it has to be purchased and consumed responsibly. Some manufacturer and retail practices are to blame, in addition to recycling flow systems in city municipalities. After speaking with the North American brand manager for Aquafina, these are some primary points agreed upon.

IKEA has launched a site discussing (and soliciting discussing about) their environmental and corporate social responsibility record. It feels a little like greenwashing, but the company has a legacy of legitimate socially and environmentally responsible choices. For example, stores in Canada charge for plastic bags, provide shuttle buses to transit hubs and preferred parking spots for customers with hybrid and low emission vehicles.

Smartlygreen.com is for people with an environmental conscience but little time to do much about it. It has created a way that allows you to offset your carbon footprint without making any changes to your lifestyle and without any cost to you.

IBM has announced the Green Retail Store portfolio, a range of more energy-efficient IT products that handle all aspects of retailing, from the shop floor to the back office.

Marks & Spencer, the UK's leading high street retailer,  has signed a £19m IT managed services contract to give its head office staff better access to core technology, tools and processes, as well as ensuring that end-of-life hardware is disposed of in accordance with the terms of Europe’s WEEE environment directive.

Dell, UK local authorities, retailers... people are acting on the green message.

**POP-UP WARNING**

Good story about a leading environmentalist coming to terms with working with WalMart in an effort to encourage its staff to live more sustainable lives.

Ron Jarvis, Home Depot's vice president of Environmental Innovations, sat down with GreenBiz's Joel Makower to discuss the progress made and lessons learned during the first half-year of the retail giant's project to promote eco-friendly products.

Samantha and Mark Caserta and, Samantha’s sister, Tracy Ferdinand, hope to make it even easier for residents of Maplewood, NJ, and the surrounding area, to live a green lifestyle, without sacrificing style. The Caserta’s, owners of Park Slope, Brooklyn’s successful 3r Living, a home décor and lifestyle store dedicated to “future friendly products”, will open a second retail location, in partnership with area resident Tracy Ferdinand, at 147 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, NJ (just across from the train station) on Saturday October 6th.

Whilst many retailers are banning the sale of incandescent lightbulbs this year or next, Greenpeace campaign against Woolworths who will not stop selling them until 2011.......