Walmart aims to reduce 10 toxic chemicals – but won't divulge which
Walmart says it will cut down on 10 'high priority' chemicals used in household products on its shelves. But it's keeping mum on what they are – and which products have them – for now
Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Can one store change the chemicals industry? Photo: Marc F Henning /Alamy
This is the third article in a series on US retailers' efforts to curb the use of legal, but potentially harmful, chemicals in household products. The first, by editor-at-large Marc Gunther, discussed whether retailers are acting as regulators. The second explored Target's new policy aimed making products healthier.
Can one store change the chemicals industry?
Maybe. A new sustainable products policy at Walmart, the world's largest retailer, may kick consumer product manufacturers hard enough to rid toxic ingredients from their supply chains.
The policy, the centerpiece of a host of new sustainability initiatives announced in September, will take effect next month. That's when the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company will start monitoring product ingredient lists for 10 "high priority" chemicals that it will push its vendors to reduce or eliminate.
In 2015, suppliers will have to disclose product ingredients online, although they won't have to disclose whether their products contain the prioritized chemicals (or any added to the list) on product labels until January 2018.
Exactly what Walmart wants to remove isn't clear, though. The company won't publicly disclose what chemicals are on the list, and it doesn't plan to report on the program's progress for two years.
