4.15.2000 ET

(CSRwire) Furthering their commitment to fostering healthy communities, Wal- Mart has teamed up with WorldWise to help people celebrate Earth Day everyday. The two companies have forged a dynamic partnership to bring environmentally conscious products into the mainstream of consumer shopping habits.

Wal-Mart is the world's number one retailer, with 100 million U.S. shoppers a week visiting their stores. WorldWise is a leading brand of environmentally responsible consumer goods. Together, they've created a conduit for everyday shoppers to help preserve the planet without any extra effort or sacrifice.

"Our idea was to create products that work as well or better, look as good or finer, and cost the same or less than products manufactured without as much concern for the environment," Aaron Lamstein, co-founder and president of WorldWise, said. "With new technologies, saving the environment doesn't have to be costly or a struggle. It's easy, and that's great news for consumers, and great news for the planet."

To get an idea of the environmental savings harvested from WorldWise, consider their Pet Bowls and Eco-Planters. Available at select Wal-Mart stores and at www.wal- mart.com, the Pet Bowls are made primarily from recycled plastic bottle tops, and each week, Wal-Mart shoppers keep the equivalent of more than 200,000 tops from being sent to landfills. The Eco-Planters look just like Terra Cotta, only they're lighter, won't chip or break, and are made primarily from recycled shrink-wrap. Last season, Wal-Mart shoppers alone utilized the equivalent of enough plastic wrap to cover the entire floor plan of a 2,500 square foot home 45,000 times over.

Lamstein, only 32, has been building WorldWise for 10 years, and his energy and commitment toward a healthier future fit in perfectly with Wal-Mart's philosophy of reflecting and supporting the vision and values of their communities. Wal-Mart was impressed enough to appoint Lamstein to their Environmental Advisory Board in May of 1999.

"Wal-Mart recognizes the importance of preserving our natural resources and strives to offer our customers a variety of environmental products in the communities in which we operate," said Tom Montgomery, Community Programs manager for Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart carries a wide variety of WorldWise products both on-line and in stores. There's the Cat Scratcher, an ingenious device for cats made from recycled corrugated cardboard and infused with certified organic catnip; the Eco-Planter™, perfect for indoor or outdoor gardening; Fatwood StarterStix™, a fire starter that is free of chemicals and salvaged from discarded sap-filled stumps; packaged certified organic catnip, and fast-growing natural oat grass for cats. The Cat Scratcher from WorldWise was selected as Wal-Mart's environmental product of the quarter. Check www.worldwise.com or www.wal-mart.com for additional WorldWise products.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) operates more than 2,500 stores and 460 Sam's Clubs in the United States. Internationally, the company operates more than 1,000 units. Wal- Mart employs more than 885,000 associates in the United States and 255,000 internationally. In 1999, the company raised and donated more than $163 million for charitable organizations. Wal-Mart is located on-line at www.wal-mart.com.

WorldWise is guided by the principle of sustainability: a step beyond conservation that maintains the planet's natural functions, resources and beauty. WorldWise contributes to this global goal by educating consumers and providing useful products that enhance sustainable living through over 6,000 stores and online. Please visit www.worldwise.com to learn more about WorldWise products and associated environmental issues, or contact WorldWise, Inc., Dept. R64, P.O. Box 3360, San Rafael, CA 94912-3360.