Mind the Store, Protect the Customer

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By May Woo, Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow This originally appeared here With great market power comes great responsibility. Retailers hold the power to choose which products are available to consumers, and what ingredients go into store brand items. With a lack of federal regulation over toxic chemicals in consumer products, retailers have the potential to step in and screen their inventory, and by doing so have a large impact on improving public health and the environment. In support of pressuring retailers to take action, the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow coalition is excited to join other environmental and health organizations in joining the efforts of Mind the Store this spring. Mind the Store is a national campaign led by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families (SCHF) that targets major retailers and their role in regulating the products sold on their shelves.  Scientific research continues to reveal health risks associated with common ingredients in cosmetics, baby products, and more, yet current legislation surrounding consumer product regulation is very outdated.  Alarmed at this lack of legislative monitoring, the campaign challenges big-name stores such as Walmart, Target, and Kroger to reduce, eliminate, or find safer alternatives for products with ingredients on the SCHF “Hazardous 100+” list. This list consists of over one hundred chemicals known or suspected to be linked to chronic health issues, such as cancer, developmental disabilities, and hormone disruptions, and include chemicals often in the public health spotlight such as bisphenol A (BPA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), among others. The campaign is calling on retailers to phase out this list of 100+ chemicals, so that consumers are not burdened with the task themselves. Imagine having to go into a store with a list of 100 dangerous chemicals in mind - it would be ridiculous to scour through the tiny ingredient labels of every product you buy! However, it is not ridiculous for the stores to step in and regulate the safety of their stock. By doing so, customers can confidently purchase items knowing that their health and safety is of priority. The campaign has already had some successes. Last September, Walmart implemented a new corporate policy requiring manufacturers of cleaning, cosmetics, and baby care products to disclose full ingredient lists, and in addition, will remove a select 10 chemicals from these product sectors (See our previous post on Walmart here). In October, Target announced a new sustainable products standard to assign scores based on ingredient, packaging, and environmental impact quality. Target also created a list of over 1,000 chemicals to avoid in their products. Other retailers have also undertaken work to develop safer, more sustainable products and methods. Mind the Store hopes to build on the momentum of these successes from last fall to achieve its goal of negotiating with other major stores to eliminate the chemicals on the Hazardous 100+ list. Until the government enacts new laws to better regulate the toxics in consumer products, it is the responsibility of the retailers to create change. A Day of Action is in the works for Mid-April. For more information on how to get involved, contact us at info@healthytomorrow.org.