Are Your Favorite Stores Tackling Toxics?

Are your favorite stores taking action to get toxic chemicals off their shelves? You can find out in a new report card that ranks 30 top retailers on toxics. 

The good news? Six retailers got a B or higher! Companies like Apple, Walmart, CVS and Ikea are taking the lead.

The bad news? The average grade was a D+. Nine companies,[1] including Sally Beauty, Office Depot, Dollar General and Babies “R” Us, are lagging behind with F’s. It’s clear that there’s still a lot of work to do.

Will you send a message to the retailers asking them to take action on toxic chemicals in products and packaging? 

Mike Belliveau, our executive director and co-author of the report, said, “Retailers remain on the frontline of consumer discontent with the chemical safety of everyday products. The good news is that some are making the grade, but too many are failing to take the most basic public steps to eliminate dangerous chemicals from the products they buy and sell.”

Now more than ever, we need companies to step up and tackle toxic chemicals. Cancer cases and infertility rates are soaring—and scientists agree that exposure to toxic chemicals from various sources can contribute. Plus, chemical industry insiders are running the EPA’s chemical safety office and they aren’t doing enough to regulate potentially dangerous chemicals.

We’re calling on the stores where we shop to take the lead on making sure the products they sell us are safe. And our efforts are working! Because of action from consumers like you, this year companies like Target, Walmart, CVS Health, The Home Depot and Costco have announced progress tackling toxic chemicals.

For example, CVS is removing chemicals like phthalates and parabens from almost 600 store brand beauty and personal care products. The Home Depot announced that it’s requiring suppliers to eliminate certain harmful chemicals from building materials such as paints, carpet and flooring. And Walmart announced plans to restrict more than 2,700 harmful chemicals in 90,000 household products!

You can help make sure the progress continues. With one click, you can send a message to 30 top retailers!

To put this second annual Who’s Minding the Store? report card together, we carefully analyzed each retailer’s actions (or inaction) on toxic chemicals. We scored each company on 14 different criteria and reached out with a preliminary grade to give each retailer an opportunity to respond, disclose more details, and make new commitments. Then using the information we gathered throughout the process, we added up the company’s score and issued individual recommendations. Now we’re unveiling a brand new website with all the info.

Will you send a message now asking 30 top retailers to adopt the recommendations and keep making progress?

Thanks for your support!