Blog

Best Buy launched a chemicals policy in 2017 but didn’t publish the list of chemicals it is restricting until recently. While a step in the right direction, the list of chemicals does not go far enough — it is woefully inadequate in addressing harmful flame retardants and other toxics. In the year ahead, Best Buy must significantly expand its list of restricted chemicals and ban toxic flame retardants in the enclosures of all televisions it sells.

You may have already heard that the Trump administration is taking actions behind the scenes to weaken an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to protect us from PFAS chemicals. You may be outraged (but probably not surprised) to learn that these actions have been driven by a former chemical industry lobbyist—who’s now nominated to run our top consumer protection agency.

As the coronavirus quarantine continues, in-person events to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day have been canceled around the world. So we’ve assembled our picks for documentaries that will outrage and inspire you—all available for streaming at home.

On December 11, 2018, Whole Foods Market made a dramatic announcement. Effective immediately, all prepared food and bakery packaging that tested positive for long-lived, potentially toxic chemicals were removed from its nearly 500 stores. The company said: “We’re actively working with our suppliers to find and scale new compostable packaging options.”

As we all navigate the rapid changes and uncertainty of this challenging time, the need to keep our social distance has certainly altered the way we work—but it has not changed the urgency of the work that we do to protect Americans’ health from toxic chemicals. If anything, we know it’s now more important than ever – people whose immune systems are compromised because they are suffering from cancers and other underlying illnesses that have been connected to toxic chemicals (like PFAS) are among the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. But we heard loud and clear last week: the Trump administration is not letting up on its anti-regulatory agenda during the pandemic.

A new corporate responsibility trend is taking root with beauty and personal care retailers—phasing out and disclosing toxic chemicals in products and packaging.