The Role of Retailers in the Green Equation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its list of the top 50 Green Power Partners — those organizations that are the leading purchasers of electricity produced from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydroelectric power.

Some of the findings may surprise you. Here is a list of America’s top 10 green retailers:

1. Kohl's Department Stores
2. Dell
3. Whole Foods Market
4. Wal-Mart California and Texas
5. Starbucks
6. Staples
7. Lowe's
8. Safeway
9. Sprint Nextel
10. Coldwater Creek

According to Michael Lee, Executive Director of the International Advertising Association and a guest speaker at the recent IPREX Worldwide Conference in New York City, consumers — often confused when it comes to green claims — look to retailers to be the arbiters. What’s more they don’t just look to green-positioned retailers, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s; they also look at companies, like Wal-Mart, “that have been working hard to burnish their green credentials.”

Technorati Tags: Environmental Protection Agency, Green Power Partners, renewable resources, Kohl's Department Stores, Dell, Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Starbucks, Staples, Sprint Nextel, Lowe's, Safeway, Coldwater Creek, Michael Lee, International Advertising Association, IPREX, Makovsky + Company, communications, public relations