Green Daily

Wal Mart continues to befuddle us all as the mega-retailer continues to aggressively pursue a green business model -- it's like they're trying to atone for their years of callousness. Apparently, Wal Mart's logistics people are hard at work to increase their fleet's fuel efficiency by 25% this year -- and they've already been able to boost it by 20%.

Part of the plan to green their freight operations is to introduce 7,000 hybrid trucks into its fleet some time this year -- which ought to bring them beyond their goal. Thus far, improvements to the fleet have consisted of smaller, lighter fuel tanks, fuel efficient tires, and refrigeration units that continue cooling while the engine is shut down.

According to Wal Mart's VP of sustainability: "with gas at $4 a gallon, we're keenly working on reducing costs." Fuel prices aren't the only market force helping to drive fuel efficiency gains higher. As the price of raw materials and the demand for greener goods rises, manufacturers are finding ways to use less packaging. That helps with both weight and bulk of shipments.

Wal Mart may be making steps to go green, but they make no bones about the fact that it helps out their bottom line. For instance, reducing packaging by 5% is going to save them $3.4B by 2013. Not bad. Personally, I think the fact that they're saving money with their eco-efforts is the most encouraging part of Wal Mart's greenification. It sets a precedent that going green equals bigger profit margins -- and money talks.