Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville, Ark., recently released its packaging scorecard, a major piece in its plan of reducing packaging across its global supply chain of 60,000 worldwide suppliers. The goal is a reduction of 5 percent of the packaging material used by 2013. The intent of the scorecard is to help the company and its suppliers improve packaging and conserve resources. The company first announced this packaging initiative at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City in September 2006, and revealed the specific metrics last November.

“We at Wal-Mart recognize that we have unique strengths and a unique opportunity to have a positive impact on the environment through our own actions,” said Matt Kistler, vice president of package and product innovations Sam’s Club. “As vital as the packaging initiative is to reaching our environmental goals, it is also very good for our business and our suppliers’ business.”

The company will use the following metrics for the packaging scorecard:

• 15 percent will be based on greenhouse gas/CO₂ per ton of production;
• 15 percent will be based on material value;
• 15 percent will be based on product / package ratio;
• 15 percent will be based on cube utilization;
• 10 percent will be based on transportation;
• 10 percent will be based on recycled content;
• 10 percent will be based on recovery value;
• 5 percent will be based on renewable energy;
• 5 percent will be based on innovation

Visit www.scorecardlibrary.com.