Have you seen the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray’s fictional weatherman Phil Connors keeps reliving the same day over and over again until he gets it right. At first, he’s frustrated. But then he starts becoming a better person and eventually he gets Groundhog Day right—and is released from his time loop.
Sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in a time loop with some of the retailers we’re asking to ditch toxic products through the Mind the Store campaign. Some of them have listened to consumers and are right on track. Companies like Target, CVS and Walmart scored top ranks in our annual retailer report card ranking company actions on toxic chemicals. But some others have been hearing from us for years and still haven’t gotten it right. We think this should be the year that companies like Babies “R” Us, Lowe’s and Kroger evolve like Bill Murray’s character and tackle toxic chemicals on store shelves.
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. But we need your help to make sure that they get out of their toxic time loop and get this right!
Mobilization and Marketing Director
Beth Kemler led Toxic-Free Future’s public outreach and marketing activities from 2016-2022. She has been organizing public interest campaigns for twenty years, focusing on both policy and markets-based campaigns.
