The Globe Foundation helps companies worldwide make the business case for green. Every two years they hold an internationally acclaimed conference in Vancouver, where they also hand out awards for Environmental Excellence. This year, London Drugs was pleased to be named a finalist in the Greenest Retailing Practices category, alongside retail giants Sears and Canadian Tire.
Canadian Tire was the eventual winner, and although London Drugs did not take home the first-place hardware, we were proud that the hard work of our employees, suppliers and customers was recognized.
Ultimately, we all benefit from companies who do their part to make a difference, so we applaud all winners in the 7 GLOBE Awards categories:
- The Award for Corporate Environmental Excellence – Unilever Canada
- The Award for Excellence in Emerging Technology – Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc.
- The Award for Technology Innovation & Application – Pulse Energy
- The Award for Excellence in Urban Sustainability – Waterfront Toronto/Halsall Associates
- The Award for Sustainability in Finance – Royal Bank of Canada
- The Award for Best Green Retailing Practices- Canadian Tire Corp.
- The Next Gen Entrepreneur Award – Eden Full, Roseicollis Technologies
Good Grief.
I started looking through this site expecting to find a green resource. Turns out it is just more green washing.
I mean really…Canadian Tire and London Drugs green?
These two companies are in many ways the antithesis of the green movement. Packed full of merchandise we don’t really need, most shipped thousands of miles from Asia collectively representing massive energy outlays, processed junk foods packed full of questionable ingredients, impulse purchase items up the wazoo…shame on London Drugs for this horse pooey.
Dear Unknown:
Horse Pooey! Ouch!
Though it could be argued that until all goods and services are produced with renewable energy and completely recycled in a closed-loop system, no retailer will be truly ‘sustainable’. One could also argue that offering products like New World Organic Granola, Ethical Bean Organic Coffee and RW Knudsen Organic juices next to the traditional snack foods is progress. Ditto to London Drugs’ policy to take back all of their own packaging, including recycling styrofoam (at their own expense). Incremental progress among larger retail organizations may be looked at as ‘greenwashing’ by some, but other schools of the green movement see this sort of change as necessary to the evolution of our systems. If you have thoughts as to how change might be more effectively engaged, I would love to continue the discussion!