Target

Chemical Footprint Project (CFP)

Target is a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP). It participates in the CFP survey, but does not make its score public.

Supply Chain Disclosure

Target requires both private-label and national-brand formulated products to disclose formulations to UL WERCSmart to be onboarded for sale; disclosure may include generic ingredients. Target incentivizes suppliers of formulated products, including beauty products of environmental justice concern (BPEJC), to provide full disclosure of the constituents of generic fragrances, flavors, and colors through its Target Clean program, but does not require disclosure of non-functional constituents.

Supplier Accountability

In 2019, Target stated, “We delineate supplier expectations both publicly via our website as well as in their contracts. The Partners Online (POL) platform in itself serves as the contractual obligations [sic] that suppliers must meet in order to do business with Target. All of our chemical policy goals and requirements are listed on POL and considered part of the supplier contracts.”

The company has also stated, “We have and will continue to provide our vendors guidance on our RSL, MRSL and chemical management via our on-line supplier platform.”

In its 2022 sustainability report, the company says that compliance with its textiles RSL “is validated using a risk-based testing approach. In 2021, we had a compliance rate of 99%.”

For formulated products that are Target Clean, Target provides a guide for WERCsmart and PurView, which provides training and guidance to suppliers about transparency and chemical composition requirements.

Consumer Disclosure

In 2017, Target set a transparency goal for beauty, baby, personal care, and household cleaning formulated products, which included generic ingredients. Unfortunately the company retired this formal goal, however the company states that it is building the same transparency expectations for its Target Clean program and own-brand product development. At the same time, the company states “we encourage all supply chain partners to find paths allowing full material disclosure to consumers, and support those who are actively going above and beyond the current transparency regulations.”

Chemicals and Plastics Reduction

In 2020, Target announced it was eliminating bisphenols in thermal receipt paper: “(b)y end of year 2020, Target expects to fully convert to phenol-free receipt paper for use in all standard and mobile-device checkout lanes.”

More recently, the company announced through its Building Blocks for Better Products (B3P) initiative, Target helped 26 women- and BIPOC-founded beauty and personal care businesses to phase out harmful or undesirable ingredients from their products.

Target has also made progress increasing its assortment of formulated products that are part of its Target Clean program, which means the products are free of phthalates, propyl- & butyl-parabens, formaldehyde donors, musks, nonylphenol ethoxylates, ethanolamines, glycol ethers, siloxanes, and perfluorinated substances. As of year-end 2023, it increased the number of products in Target Clean by approximately 10 percent year over year, to a total of around 5,000 individual items.

Finally, Target has made progress reducing the use of plastics of high concern (PHCs). Between 2017 and 2022, expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been removed from the packaging of 734 items. The company has also piloted a program to transition from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gift cards to paper gift cards.

Implementation of Safer Solutions

Target has eliminated or substituted flame retardants in various textiles, and has disclosed that it has transitioned to flame retardants that meet GreenScreen Benchmark 3 criteria for children’s loose-fit sleepwear, play tents, and sleeping bags. Target also sells private-label products that are Safer Choice certified.