WALMART ASSOCIATES AIM TO BECOME ONE OF CANADA'S "GREENEST" WORKFORCES

New program helps associates bring sustainability into their daily lives

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 30 /CNW/ - Walmart Canada, the country's third-largest employer, announced today the rollout of a new sustainability program designed to help the company become one of Canada's largest teams of environmentally engaged associates. Launched under the banner "My Sustainability Plan" (MSP) the new program provides Walmart Canada's 85,000 associates with a vehicle to integrate environmental practices directly into their daily lives.

"Environmental sustainability continues to be one of the top issues on the minds of our associates," said David Cheesewright, President and CEO of Walmart Canada. "Our new MSP program is designed to empower Walmart associates to engage sustainability on their own terms. It stands for helping our associates live greener, healthier and better, and underscores that together we can make a world of difference because these small steps quickly add up."

Built around the three pillars of Planet, Health and Life, "My Sustainability Plan" asks Walmart associates to identify something they are passionate about, develop a plan to make it part of their daily lives, track their progress, and ultimately share their story to inspire other associates.

A company-wide team of 350 MSP captains help associates set goals and identify sustainability initiatives which are right for them. Examples of MSPs include carpooling, cleaning up a local park, quitting smoking, recycling, switching to sustainable products and using reusable shopping bags.

The new MSP program builds on an initiative undertaken in 2008 at Walmart Canada which saw the company's associates log more than 325,000 personal sustainability projects across Canada.

"Our ultimate goal is to have 100 percent of our associates engaged in the new MSP program by next year," said Mr. Cheesewright. "Incorporating sustainability into our daily lives can have a tremendous impact on the environment and on our lives. Small acts can add up to big wins."

Walmart Canada and Walmart Brazil are the first two operations within Walmart's 15-country network to launch the new MSP program. The company expects to roll the program out in all 15 countries in the future.

"My Sustainability Plan" is the latest in a wide range of sustainability initiatives undertaken by Walmart Canada over the past five years to reduce waste and energy, and drive the growth and availability of sustainable product choices.

Established in 1994 and headquartered in Mississauga Ontario, Walmart Canada operates 319 stores nationwide, employs more than 85,000 associates, and was recently named one of Canada's top 10 corporate cultures. Walmart's long-range sustainability goals are to generate zero waste, to be powered 100 percent by renewable energy, and to sell products that sustain resources and the environment

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For further information: Andrew Pelletier, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Walmart Canada Corp., 905 821-2111 ext. 4585