Walmart Shareholders

20 • Walmart Shareholders • 6.2.2019 Special to NWA Democrat-Gazette Marvelyn Stout is the Founder and President of one of the top recruiting businesses in Northwest Arkansas. For the last decade, Stout Executive Search has specialized in placing professionals for Walmart supplier teams. Marvelyn brings a unique understanding of supplier's needs since she spent 18 years in sales and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry. In addition to her experience as a Brand Manager for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Marvelyn was also the Walmart Team Leader for Ol' Roy, the largest dry pet food brand in the United States manufactured by Mars, Inc. Utilizing her experience in the industry, Marvelyn has an insider's perspective of Walmart supplier culture. She understands the needs of the companies she serves and has a keen eye for candidates who will excel as members of their supplier teams. Committed to community involvement, Marvelyn has been recognized for her contribution to the cultural landscape of Northwest Arkansas through her personal and professional support of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She has actively contributed to the Bentonville/ Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Board of Directors and various committees. Marvelyn also supports the Retail Programs at Northwest Arkansas Community College, regularly lending her expertise to the Retail Marketing Analyst Program. Marvelyn brings a proven, relationship-based approach to the Northwest Arkansas recruiting market, and a unique perspective from someone who has lived the Walmart supplier culture. Stout specializes in placing supplier teams for Walmart SponSor Content Marvelyn Stout, Founder and President of Stout Executive Search Marvelyn brings a unique understanding of supplier's needs since she spent 18 years in sales and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry. NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF REPORT Walmart Inc. will start offering reusable shopping bags for purchase at checkout stands in U.S. stores next month as part of its efforts to reduce plastic waste, the retailer said April 10 at its 2019 sustainability milestone meeting in Bentonville. The new bags are made with recycled materi- als, Walmart said in a news release. California, Hawaii and New York, along with many cities and counties, have banned single-use plastic shopping bags. Boston, Chicago and Se- attle have also banned the bags, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The District of Columbia requires businesses that sell food or alcohol to charge customers 5 cents for each carryout plastic or paper bag. Boulder, Colo., and Montgomery County, Md., also re- quire fees for the bags. In Texas, the Austin City Council banned sin- gle use carryout bags in 2013. The city said it could no longer enforce the ordinance after the Texas Supreme Court ruled in June 2018 that a similar ban enacted in Laredo violated state law. At a supplier forum in February, Walmart revealed new commitments to cut plastic waste packaging in its U.S. private brands. These in- clude working with its suppliers to eliminate the plastic polyvinyl chloride in general merchan- dise packaging by 2020. The Bentonville retailer also aims to use at least 20 percent post-consum- er recycled content in packaging and 100 percent recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable packaging by 2025. The company is a signatory to the G7 Oceans Plastics Charter and the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a news release stated. Shailesh Jejurikar, president of global fabric care and brand building at Procter & Gamble, commended Walmart in a statement for working with suppliers to find solutions to problems relat - ed to plastic waste. "In setting our own plastic waste reduction goal, P&G understands that driving meaningful change will require collaboration," he said. Walmart's current efforts to reach its goal of zero plastic waste include offering low-cost alternatives for single-use plastic consumable products such as straws and cutlery; recycling shrink wrap in most markets; providing in-store plastic bag and film recycling bins for customers; and encouraging suppliers to include a How2Re- cycle label on packaging. The U.S. generated 14.68 million tons of plastic containers and packaging in 2015, the lat- est year for which figures are available, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Only 2.15 million tons were recycled, with more than 10 million tons ending up in landfills. The April meeting also included an update on Retailer outlines path to no waste Reusable bags in Walmart plan See NO WASTE, Page 22 "To achieve our ambitious climate goals, we aim to expand and deepen that engagement... The progress to date shows how companies can contribute to climate action through practical actions all along the product supply chain." – Kathleen McLaughlin chief sustainability officer

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