In China, Wal-Mart presses suppliers on labor, environmental standards

Workers at this soap plant in China are paying more attention to how the soap is packaged so that the packaging is more environmentally friendly, including a switch away from styrofoam. The reason isn't entirely altruistic -- it's because Wal-Mart insists on it. The giant retailer -- which if it was a country would be China's fifth largest export market -- is insisting that all its suppliers, including ones in China, clean up on environmental and labor practices in order to keep Wal-Mart's business. It's a great example of companies affecting social change when governments are unable -- or in the case of the United States, unwilling -- to do so.


In China, Wal-Mart presses suppliers on labor, environmental standards - washingtonpost.com