Walgreens

Supply Chain Disclosure

Walgreens requires all suppliers of owned-brand and brand-name formulated products to disclose chemical ingredients, not including generic ingredients such as fragrances, to WERCSmart, at the SKU level. The company also requires suppliers of owned-brand formulated products and articles to disclose certain ingredients and product packaging data, including material type and weight, to be entered into WBA’s Sustainability Hub.

Supplier Accountability

Walgreens stated in 2024 it includes the Responsible Chemical Management Strategy and chemical action list compliance information in its “Business Award Letter (i.e. terms & conditions contracts)” for owned-brand suppliers. Walgreens trained owned-brand suppliers on its policy at its most recent Vendor Summit for fiscal year 2024, and the company requires conformance testing by third-party laboratories to ensure conformance with certain chemicals on its chemical action list. This testing has been in place for more than five years.

Consumer Disclosure

Restricted Substances List (RSL)/Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL)

Walgreens’ Chemical Action Plan restricts over 500 individual chemicals, including at least three classes of Ban the Bad Chemicals of High Concern (CHCs), including PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde releasers, and APEs. The company also restricts numerous other CHCs including certain parabens, triclosan, toluene, and benzophenone 2.

Additionally, the company restricts PVC in non-over-the-counter blister packaging, and also restricts plastic packaging with carbon black.

Reduction/Elimination Goals

In 2022, Walgreens released its chemical elimination list, which set goals to eliminate PFAS as a class, triclocarban, and two UV filters from its private-label cosmetic (baby, beauty, and personal care) and household cleaning products by the end of 2024.

Walgreens has established goals to reduce plastic packaging by 30 percent by 2030 for U.S.-owned brands and also have a target to make 100 percent of owned-brand plastic packaging reusable or recyclable. As part of this goal, the company is working to remove PVC and carbon black from packaging including non-over-the-counter medicine.

The company has also developed a stewardship list of numerous other chemicals and plastics of high concern (PHCs) it is considering restricting, including numerous UV filters, siloxanes, parabens, microplastics, and other substances.

Chemicals and Plastics Reduction

Walgreens eliminated bisphenols in its receipts at nearly 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores in the U.S. as of the end of 2023, a move that follows its UK Boots stores.

Walgreens has also made progress by reducing PVC plastic in all non-over-the-counter (OTC) blister packaging and carbon black in packaging.

Walgreens was also the first major U.S. retailer to eliminate the azo dye Red CL 26100 in its nail polish removers.

Safer alternative definition

Walgreens states it “strongly encourage(s) its suppliers to investigate safer alternatives where they are using a chemical listed within the WBA Chemicals Action List. Additionally, we actively encourage our suppliers to obtain credible third-party certifications, for example EPA Safer Choice, Cradle to Cradle Certified®, Blue Angel or Nordic Swan, that allows our consumers to find more sustainable products.

WBA supports the principles of Green Chemistry and looks to collaborate with partners, both within and outside of the value chain to innovate and develop safer and non-regrettable alternatives to chemicals of concern.”

It has also developed this definition: “Regrettable Substitution: ‘Substituting use of a toxic chemical in a product or process with another toxic chemical. Regrettable substitutions occur when decision-making is based on an insufficient amount of data on, or minimal attention paid to, the safety of the chemical substitute.'”