One-third of 30 major U.S. retailers are leaders when it comes to efforts in removing toxic chemicals from consumer products, but two-thirds remain serious laggards.
The report, Who’s Minding the Store? -- A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals, also found that, over the past three years, at least a dozen retailers achieved significant reductions or elimination of dangerous chemicals in the products they carry, far ahead of any government-imposed restrictions.
Unfortunately, nearly one-half of the 30 retailers evaluated have not publicly reported any progress in reducing or eliminating chemicals of concern over the past three years. Amazon was very low on the list with a D, as was Stables ( D-) and Walgreens ( D). To correct the problems these companies said they are developing policies. Walgreens and Staples plan to launch their chemicals policies in 2018.
“This holiday season, retailers should give us the gift of a toxic-free future,” said Mike Schade, Mind the Store Campaign Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, and report co-author.
