| Why Waste A Ribbon When You Can Plant A Tree... | | | | Bringing Green Products "To Every Corner Drugstore |
| San Diego, CA- Walgreens celebrated the opening of | | | | In America" |
| the nations first green drugstore yesterday not with | | | | Walgreens unique position as an a nationwide leader |
| a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony but with the | | | | in their industry gives them the opportunity to offer |
| planting of a native tree. | | | | and support green eco-friendly products in their vast |
| "We felt that planting a tree was much more | | | | network of 24 hour store locations. It also puts them |
| appropriate then cutting a ribbon and then throwing it | | | | in a position to persuade their competitors to do the |
| away" said Jamie J. Meyers, The LEED AP Project | | | | same. That says nothing as to the opportunities |
| architect who was there for the celebrations. | | | | available to them in terms of offering holistic, |
| Walgreens, the nations largest drug store chain is | | | | eco-friendly and organic health products. Again, in |
| once again changing the landscape for the American | | | | interest of fairness this is an area where steps have |
| consumer, this time for the greener. The store in | | | | been taken...but there is still room for improvement. |
| question was designed from the ground up around | | | | While certain green products have been highlighted |
| the dual mission of efficiency and sustainability. Not | | | | and given prominent display positioning- much of their |
| only is it the first drug store in the U.S. to meet the | | | | inventory is the same old landfill clogging..."stuff" that |
| USGBCs stringent LEED design standards but the | | | | plagues America today. |
| 24-hour store also sells a host of environmentally | | | | This brings to mind the reason I decided to write this |
| friendly products. | | | | article. Walgreens, like many other long standing |
| By exceeding LEED requirements and integrating | | | | companies today is in an awkward position. While |
| eco-friendly product lines into their inventory they | | | | they are struggling to wrap their strategy around the |
| have taken steps that cannot simply be attributed to | | | | idea of sustainability they are still plagued with a long |
| the common corporate "greenwashing" | | | | legacy of conventional, pollutant, unsustainable |
| A Serious Commitment... | | | | business practices. Unfortunately that is something |
| With this project and future plans for many more like | | | | which no company can change overnight. This |
| it, Walgreens has made a serious commitment to | | | | problem can only be addressed through consistent |
| sustainability. Here are just a few of the things they | | | | long term efforts. No sweeping initiative or "change |
| have built into this store on the architectural side; | | | | program" is going to make meaningful differences in |
| -Take for instance the landscaping- They used all | | | | behaviors that have developed over the course of |
| native plants which will require no watering | | | | many generations. |
| whatsoever once they have adjusted to | | | | The good news however is that with pressure from |
| transplanting. Here in San Diego that's a pretty big | | | | retail giants like Walgreens, mainstream |
| deal as we are in the midst of a level two drought | | | | manufacturers (such as Walgreens own current |
| emergency... | | | | suppliers) will naturally "follow their leed" and begin |
| -They took great pains to reduce lighting energy | | | | offering more green product alternatives. Here are a |
| waste by utilizing 75% natural sunlight during daytime | | | | few of the product lines currently available in their |
| hours. This was achieved with the installation of solar | | | | Mira Mesa (SD) Location; |
| tubes and skylights that shine down from the ceiling. | | | | Healthy Times- Organic Baby Food- Definitely a |
| This combined with LEDs in their signs and coolers | | | | worthwhile green product- especially if your sick of |
| reduces lighting related energy use by 50% | | | | paying for water and starch! Organic babyfood should |
| -They are mitigating storm water pollution from the | | | | be in every grocery/drug store in America. I would |
| surrounding buildings by collecting and filtering water | | | | recommend this product to any parent trying to get |
| as it flows onto their lot. | | | | their baby off to a green healthy start. They have |
| -Water use is estimated at 50% below LEED | | | | many options, all organic, all formulated to nurture |
| standard levels. | | | | children's skin, hair, growth and general well-being. This |
| -75% of materials were architectural salvage from | | | | baby food contains no refined sugars, preservatives |
| the previous structure that existed on the lot. | | | | or artificial additives. |
| -A white roof was included to reduce cooling related | | | | Biofusion- This is Walgreens own brand of hair care |
| energy use as well as to mitigate the urban heat | | | | products that incorporates natural ingredients into the |
| island effect. | | | | formulas. No word yet as to the sustainability or |
| -There are many other green details as well, such as | | | | social responsibility of the manufacturing process |
| hybrid car parking spaces, a bike rack, and a site | | | | however the formulas do rely less on chemicals with |
| chosen in part for it's close proximity to public | | | | too many syllables to pronounce. |
| transportation. | | | | Burt's Bees- Here's an excellent example of a mom |
| While other companies such as Wal-Mart and Target | | | | and pop cottage industry manufacturer that grew |
| have made token gestures to the green movement | | | | into a nation-wide success...and is now using that |
| Walgreens really seems to get it. While there is still | | | | success to leverage environmental progress. Not only |
| room for further improvement, the significant steps | | | | are their personal care products naturally based |
| they have taken to "go green" far surpass the | | | | (beeswax) their whole business philosophy centers |
| typical dog and pony show that passes for | | | | around supporting "the greater good" from their |
| environmentalism these days in many companies. | | | | charitable contributions to the encouragement of their |
| At some point the question was seriously posed- | | | | employees personal growth opportunities. |
| "How can we make ourselves more efficient and | | | | Clorox Greenworks- This is Clorox's brand of green |
| sustainable?" And someone took the time to find | | | | cleaning products which use- in their words |
| some awnsers. Yet here we find the question that all | | | | 'environmentally preferable chemistry' to achieve |
| modern companies will be faced with as energy | | | | cleaning results similar to Clorox's toxic/harmful |
| prices soar and the public becomes more aware of | | | | flagship products. Clorox also contributes to the Sierra |
| their own effect on the planet. Whether it's the | | | | Club in the name of this product line. (Get Coupons |
| product they produce, the service they provide, or | | | | Here) |
| the goods that they sell companies large and small | | | | Natures Source- SC Johnsons green plant based |
| cannot escape the changes that are occurring in our | | | | cleaning products are environmentally friendly and |
| environment. Those who don't respond to these | | | | versatile in selection. Check out their website to find |
| changes will end up like Walgreens competitors such | | | | out more about these products and what SC |
| as Eckerd; just struggling to keep up with the pack. | | | | Johnson is doing to help the environment. |
| A History of Steady Progress | | | | WaterU- Is another Walgreens made product. A |
| "Walgreens is making great progress on our | | | | reusable BPA Free water jug that comes in a variety |
| environmental initiatives in stores chain-wide. Were | | | | of different sizes. It is reusable and recyclable and it |
| cutting our electricity and water usage, recycling tons | | | | doesn't contain the harmful BPA traces in typical |
| of cardboard and shrink wrap each year and | | | | bottled water containers. |
| upgrading equipment for maximum efficiency" Said | | | | So while green products have been made available in |
| Walgreens Market Vice President Matt Sesto | | | | this location there is a distinct emphasis on the |
| Walgreens has never been a trendy/flashy company. | | | | architectural end of sustainability. I can imagine it is |
| Quite the opposite, they are a family run All-American | | | | tough shifting away from long time distributor |
| company with a long history of steady progress. In | | | | relationships however there is really no good reason |
| many cases they have been among the first to | | | | why Walgreens can't offer more environmentally |
| implement innovative strategies like the switch to | | | | friendly product alternatives for some of their top |
| bar-code scanning technology, and the expansion into | | | | selling items. |
| film development in the 1970's. They also were at | | | | A Green Drugstore Is A Healthy Drugstore |
| the forefront of adapting a more convenient, | | | | An often overlooked (yet very important) part of |
| customer friendly format in a time when drugstores | | | | going green are the healthy decisions we can make |
| were rather limited in scope. Through all these | | | | everyday like eating right, exercising, and picking the |
| changes however they have always kept true to | | | | right over the counter health products. Consider that |
| their identity as, "Americas corner drugstore". | | | | the medical industry a major landfill and toxic waste |
| So when a company like Walgreens outlines a wide | | | | polluter. Just look around next time your in a hospital |
| ranging environmentally friendly strategy it really | | | | and it's not difficult to see why. If Walgreens can |
| means something in terms of their future intentions. | | | | take their commitment to the next level by |
| As mentioned by Jim Collins (Author of 'Built to Last' | | | | promoting natural and environmentally friendly health |
| and 'Good to Great') in an article titled Best Beats | | | | products in their stores then that would be a pretty |
| First; | | | | amazing accomplishment by any environmental |
| "they (Walgreens) may be slow- following a crawl, | | | | standard. |
| walk, run, trajectory, but when they run, they will run | | | | Going green is just as much about the lifestyle you |
| right over companies that believe being first is all that | | | | live as the house you live it in. By extension, it is just |
| matters." | | | | as much about the products you sell as the building |
| So when Walgreens tells me that they plan to build | | | | you sell them in. Sometimes that is forgotten in the |
| many more new green locations, as well as do | | | | world of business and industry. I hope that |
| additional environmentally friendly modifications to | | | | Walgreens is able to employ the same wise |
| their 6,857 existing locations- I believe them. This | | | | judgement in this area as they are currently |
| store alone is saving enough energy to power 19+ | | | | practicing in the design and energy policy of their |
| homes a year- imagine what the combined effect will | | | | new buildings. To see pictures of the grand opening |
| be! | | | | check out the my Go Walgreens article in it's entirety! |