Retailer launches enviro initiative

Walmart may purchase the majority of its goods from China, but the company is still trying to make headway with eco-conscious buyers.

The Arkansas-based retailer recently announced a years-long plan to give eco-ratings to its goods. The idea, according to the company, is to develop a “worldwide sustainable product index” to evaluate merchandise.

The initiative begins with a survey of its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world. The poll includes 15 questions focusing on four areas: energy and climate; material efficiency; natural resources; and people and community.

Walmart officials say customers are looking for this type of information. “They want to know that the materials in the product are safe, that it was made well and that it was produced in a responsible way,” Mike Duke, Walmart’s president and CEO, said in a statement.