Where in the world did this leaf come from you ask? You probably weren’t going to guess Walmart, were you? Well it is from Walmart by golly.
Walmart’s PSP is a voluntary self-improvement program that was started internally to improve the lives of Walmart employees (Walmart calls them associates). It is designed to support individuals who are interested in personal health and the health of the planet. The program encourages recycling, exercise, nutrition, community service, and sustainability. What’s most impressive is that individuals are empowerd through pride and ownership of the movement, making it very sustainable. Walmart is capitalizing on the widely held idea that a healthy workforce is a productive workforce.
Say what you will about Walmart, but if investing in human beings makes them money, then more power too them. Walmart has become the villain by doing things wrong. So if Walmart decides to be the hero and start doing things right, we should let them and support them. This article on Worldchanging makes a great point regarding the potential for Walmart’s power to be used for good:
“The obstacle to widespread sustainable practices which is most successfully addressed by Walmart is almost inarguably access. Who can more sweepingly and rapidly make organic food cheap? Who can more easily shift demand for conventional cotton to a demand for pesticide-free varieties? Who can more effectively influence electronics manufacturers to design their products for a less destructive end-of-life scenario? Probably nobody.”