The major retail company, Dollar Tree, scored a 'D' grade in a report card on toxic chemicals in consumer products, according to a study.
The study, Who’s Minding the Store? A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals, evaluated and graded the chemical policies and practices of 40 of the largest North American retailers for the third year in a row. Some of the evaluated companies including grocery and fast food chains as part of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families’ Mind the Store campaign and the Campaign for Healthier Solutions.
The top-ranked stores who had the safest packaging and products against toxic chemicals were Apple (A+), Target (A), Walmart (A-) and IKEA (A-). In 2018, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Amazon were ranked “most improved.”
Some companies made significant progress, but nearly half of the 40 companies received a failing grade, including the Chesapeake-based Dollar Tree. It was ranked 22nd out of 40 other companies, and it kept the same grade from 2017.
According to the study, Dollar Tree "appears to be taking action to implement its chemicals policy, albeit slowly, it did not appear to make any significant improvements or changes to the policy itself over the past year."
Dollar stores, on average, had an 'F' grade.
"Once again, dollar stores fall among the worst national retailers when it comes to protecting customers and our families from toxic chemicals – and none of them have done much to ease product safety concerns in over a year. People of color and the poor depend on these discount retail chains, and our families deserve safe and nontoxic products just as much as any other family," said Jose Bravo, Coordinator of the Campaign for Healthier Solutions. "While dollar stores continue to lag behind other retailers on toxic chemical safety, we continue to worry that our children and vulnerable populations are getting more than our share of toxic chemical exposures."
In August 2017, Dollar Tree announced its Commitment to Eliminate Priority Chemicals. The policy lists 17 priority chemicals or classes of chemicals that it expects suppliers to reduce or eliminate by 2020.
"Learning and developmental disabilities now affect 1 in 6 children. Over a quarter of these disabilities are linked to toxic chemical exposures,” said Tracy Gregoire, Learning Disabilities Association of America’s Healthy Children Project Coordinator. “Prenatal and early childhood exposure to harmful chemicals in consumer products and food packaging can lead to life-long impacts and chronic health conditions. Major retailers have both the opportunity and the responsibility to become industry leaders by keeping toxic chemicals out of products and packaging to protect children's minds and bodies.”
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