A new report out today rates some of the biggest retailers on their efforts to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in products sold in their stores. Two Washington state-based companies, Amazon and Costco, received the lowest grades (“Fs”) nationwide for their efforts. In comparison, Target and Wal-Mart received “Bs”.
Failing grades on toxic chemicals is simply unacceptable, especially for companies headquartered in a state considered a leader in protecting people and the environment from toxic chemicals in products. Pacific Northwest companies can do better! You can help encourage them to do better by signing our petition to the two companies.
As Toxic-Free Future’s Executive Director Laurie Valeriano said, “It is disappointing that Amazon and Costco, based in Washington state, are not responding to the overwhelming consumer demand for safer products. Washington consumers have demanded, and policymakers have responded by passing, policies that restrict harmful chemicals like toxic flame retardants and bisphenol A in products and require companies to disclose the chemicals in their children’s products. Amazon and Costco owe it to their customers to provide the safest products on their shelves.”
As consumers we expect companies like Costco and Amazon to protect our family’s health and ensure products they sell are free of chemicals like cancer-causing toxic flame retardants and hormone-disrupting phthalates. But Amazon and Costco are lagging behind.
Both Amazon and Costco have enormous market power to require their suppliers to stop using harmful chemicals. They should use this power to protect consumers and give them confidence that the products they buy are safe.
