A few weeks ago a film crew from Arkansas (the home of Walmart) came knocking on my door, and wanted to get my perspective on sustainability. When I was first approached about the idea, I jumped at it thinking “this is my chance to let the biggest retailer in the world hear what I think can be done better, or what I would like to see more of in the future. The opportunity to represent my people and hopefully make a difference for us all. ”  That day we filmed for the better half of the morning, and I was honest and as candid as possible. I talked about recycling, renewable energy, the everyday differences I myself commit to, GMO’s, organic products, and trying to shape up the planet as much as possible to leave this world a better place for my son and the generations that follow him.

This past Tuesday I was in Arkansas for the first Walmart Sustainability Expo. A few CEO’s from the largest global companies had also gathered there to join in on making a green footprint in the quest for sustainability. I sat there in a room of over 2000 people listening to all the changes that Walmart has committed to making, and then watching as some of the largest brands followed their lead. Kellogg’s, Campbell Soup, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Unilever, and Proctor and Gamble all pledged to make a difference. Some companies promised to use a significant amount of less water, others promised to reduce the amount of packaging used by making smaller containers with concentrated product inside, and lastly we had the companies that pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About an hour into the conference they played the video (posted above) that my family and I were featured in along with 3 other Walmart Moms and their families. I watched the video from my seat and knew that all eyes and ears in that room were watching too. I felt so proud of us 4 Walmart Moms who stood up to make a difference, and hoped that those companies heard what we (the consumers) had to say.

Pictured below is a sketch of a group of CEO’s that had just made their pledge and were having their picture taken to document the joyes occasion.

The level of green consciousness was definitely the focal point of everyone in the room, and when I departed from the conference that night, I felt great knowing I was part of a team of people that were looking to build a better tomorrow.