Safest Retail Stores to Shop At During Holidays 2019

There are so many retail stores in the United States, but which ones are looking out for the safety of your family? Safer Chemicals Healthy Families releases a special Retailer Reportcard every year which serves to pressure the industry to use safer chemicals and materials while also working with them on a pathway to improvement. So in 2019 which brands deserve praise and which deserve some more pressure? We’ve got those answers! You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like our non-toxic holiday gift guide for 2019, best water filters, & best small kitchen appliances, now join us for the safest retail stores to shop at during the holidays of 2019.

Retailers Drive Toxic Chemicals Out Of Products Faster Than Governments To Protect the Public So That’s Why We Pressure Them

2019 saw numerous positive changes by large retailers deciding to restrict and/or ban toxic chemicals from products on the shelves. Changes made in the market change the industry light years faster than how long it takes state and federal agencies to act on toxic chemicals. Here’s what we have to celebrate in 2019:

• Lowe’s, Sherwin-Williams, The Home Depot, Walmart, True Value, PPG Paints, AutoZone, Kelly-Moore Paints, Canadian Tire and Home Hardware all banned methylene chloride & NMP in paint strippers from their shelves. These chemicals sickened and killed several people in 2017.
• Rite Aid is on track to eliminate two phthalates from 100% of its private-label products by 2020 and recently expanded its chemical policy to phase out nine additional phthalates in all formulated products.
• IKEA recently phased out oxybenzone in surface coatings and plastics.
• Whole Foods & Walgreens are phasing oxybenzone out of personal care products like sunscreen and facial moisturizer after additional studies linked the chemical to birth defects and the bleaching of the coral reefs.
• Several retailers are working with suppliers to switch to safer alternatives to other chemicals of high concern, such as parabens, formaldehyde-donors, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), triclosan, and bisphenol A (BPA).
• Aldi reported complete elimination of alkylphenol ethoxylates (including NPEs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs or PFAS) in apparel, footwear, and household textiles.
• Aldi, Costco, & Target are driving chemicals of concern from clothing production through a Manufacturing Restricted Substance List from the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals program of textile brands.
• Sephora set a goal to reduce toxic chemicals in brand name products it sells by 50%.
• The Home Depot & Lowe’s both banned PFAS “forever chemicals” from carpets and rugs they sell.
• Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Hannaford, Giant Food, GIANT/Martin’s, and online grocer Peapod, all owned by Grocer Ahold Delhaize, recently banned PFAS, phthalates & BPA in store-brand products and packaging.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby banned toxic flame retardant chemicals from mattresses and pads in children’s product.

Mind The Store Retail Report Card 2019

In 2013, Safer Chemicals Safer Families started up the Mind the Store campaign to challenge some of the nation’s biggest retail stores to lessen the amount of toxic chemicals in the products sold in their aisles. Each year they create a “Retailer Report Card” to share with consumers which retail stores are “minding the store” and meeting the rising consumer demand for safe and healthy products.

To evaluate brands, they are ranked on several factors: policy, oversight, accountability, disclosure, action, safer alternatives, transparency, chemical footprint, & third party standards.

• Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy, up to 17.5 points
• Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives up to 7.5 points
• Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability up to 10 points
• Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer up to 10 points
• Action: Reduced or eliminate chemicals of high concern within last three years up to 15 points
• Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes up to 10 points
• Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure up to 15 points
• Chemical Footprint: Evaluates its chemical footprint up to 7.5 points
• Third-Party Standards: Promotes credible third party standards for safer products up to 7.5 points

Then they get extra credit points for public commitments through a join announcement, continuous improvement, safer products, collaboration, & impact investment.

• Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement up to 5 points
• Continuous Improvement: Shows continuous improvement by steadily expanding safer chemicals policy up to 15 points
• Safer Products: Program to promote safer products in stores and/or on website up to 5 points
• Collaboration: Actively participates in collaborative process to promote safer chemicals up to 5 points
• Impact Investment: Investing financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives and/or green chemistry solutions up to 5 points

Half of the Retail Stores Evaluated Failed to Address Chemical Safety in Products

It’s not all good news however, because almost half of the retailers evaluated lacked the most basic public chemicals policy. This means they are either not addressing these chemicals of concern at all OR they are not being transparent about how they are handling them. Either way, consumers deserve better.

If you would like these brands to respond and start implementing a safer chemical policy, click here to send them emails with one click. 

Brands Receiving an “A” Retail Report Card Score

🛒Apple: 106.25/135 “A+” 🛒

Apple has made impressive strides by maintaining and updating a Beyond Restricted List (BRL)  and full material disclosure of it’s private-label products to analyze every component in the products it sells, with more than 25,000 out of 50,000 reviewed so far. Since 2003, Apple has reduced or eliminated chemicals of concern from products including lead, arsenic, brominated flame retardants, and PVC/phthalates from certain components.

Opportunity for Improvement: Remove PFAS from it’s packaging materials. Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper.

🛒Ikea: 87.75/135 “A-” 🛒

Impressive long term track record of identifying chemicals of concern and phasing them out before federal agencies act. Most recently, IKEA eliminated PFAS from all textiles in 2016. IKEA also maintains a public safer chemical policy with significant staff management resources dedicated to working with its suppliers on chemical safety (and sustainability) of its products. They also started IKEA GreenTech, which has invested in DyeCoo Textile Systems, a Dutch company that has developed the first commercially available dyeing technology using no water and fewer chemicals.

Opportunities for Improvement: Ikea avoids all third party certifications and instead goes for the “we got this, just trust us” approach. Because of the secrecy, this makes shared learning more difficult among brands for the common good.

🛒Target: 95.5/135 “A” 🛒

In 2017, they developed a safer chemicals policy with plans to reduce toxic chemicals in textiles, beauty baby care, personal care, and household cleaning products. They are also investing in green chemistry research into safer alternatives. Launched new Wellness Icon program to make it easier for customers to identify products free of certain chemicals of concern. Funded and co-sponsored the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council’s (GC3) Preservatives Challenge to drive innovation in the preservatives category.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Improve its safer chemicals program by expanding the list of fire retardants and PFAS chemicals restricted in textiles, expanding the scope of textiles to include foam and infant/children’s car seats, and expanding the list of chemicals it is targeting for elimination in textile and formulated household goods. Eliminate toxic chemicals in electronics, baby and children’s products/toys, food, and food packaging (specifically PFAS chemicals and ortho-phthalates in food contact materials and the food supply chain).

🛒Walmart (Walmart & Sams Club): “A-” 🛒

In 2018, Walmart announced they were phasing our methylene chloride and NMP based paint strippers in all it’s stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Last year they made significant progress in both implementing and expanding its chemicals policy, which includes a greater focus on a larger list of 2,700 toxic chemicals. In 2016, Walmart unveiled it’s “Sustainable Packaging Playbook”, which also encourages suppliers to identify, restrict, and remove its “priority” chemicals from packaging while avoiding polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) plastic in packaging. By 2022, Walmart plans to reduce 55 million more pounds of toxic chemicals from their products.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Setting a more ambitious chemical footprint reduction goal beyond 10%, expanding the policy to include key chemically intensive product categories (such as apparel, electronics, food, and furniture). Phase-out PFAS, bisphenols, and phthalates from food and food contact materials.

Brands Receiving a “B” Retail Report Card Score

🛒Aldi: 63/135 “B-” 🛒

Aldi has not adopted a comprehensive chemical policy that encompasses all the products it sells, including food, food packaging, and food contact materials. However, the company has made significant progress towards addressing chemicals in garmets, household textiles, and footwear.

Opportunity for Improvement: Create a comprehensive safer chemical policy. Remove bisphenols, PFAS & phthalates from food and food contact materials.

🛒CVS Health: 82.5/135 “B+” 🛒

CVS has developed a Cosmetic Safety Policy and reformulated 300 out of 600 chemicals of concern in their private-label personal care products. It’s eliminated parabens, phthalates and most prevalent formaldehyde releasers across nearly 600 beauty products

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Eliminate more toxic chemicals from products private-label products. Improve safer chemicals program and set public quantifiable goals. Pressure the brands sold in-store to reformulate.

🛒The Home Depot: 63/135 “B-” 🛒

Just announced new restrictions on 9 toxic chemicals in household cleaning products by 2022 and notably becoming third retailer to announce a ban on methylene chloride and NMP based paint strippers in all its stores by 2018. They are also restricting flame retardants, PFAS, phthalates, vinyl chloride, and triclosan from key categories including paints, vinyl and laminate flooring, wall-to-wall carpet, and fiberglass insulation. Company has pledged to eliminate nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and other alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) in pain by 2019. They have also set a restriction on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, triclosan, coal fly ash, and other dangerous chemicals in wall-to-wall carpet, among other chemical restrictions.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Improve safer chemicals program and set public quantifiable goals. Pressure the brands sold in-store to reformulate. Expand policy to include eliminating ortho-phthalates, halogenated flame retardants, PFAS chemicals, methyl chloride and NMP from other key product categories.

🛒Rite-Aid: 81.5/135 “B+” 🛒

Rite Aid has committed to creating a public safer chemical policy and including a Beyond Restricted Substances List (BRSL). Their goal is to remove the chemicals on their list by 2020 in their private label personal care products. Disclosed plans to screen formulated products –both private label and national brands– for an expanded list of chemicals and to encourage suppliers to disclose ingredients to Rite Aid itself and to its customers (including fragrance ingredients).

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Improve safer chemicals program and set public quantifiable goals. Pressure the brands sold in-store to reformulate.

🛒Walgreens: 70.5/135 “B-” 🛒

Significantly improved from last year when they had a D-. But this year they created a safer chemical policy, including public goals and a public list of chemicals of concern. Their initial step includes setting the goal of eliminating chemicals in baby, beauty, personal care, and household cleaning categories by 2021. They have already reformulated sunscreens so that a majority of the formulations do not contain two chemicals of concern.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Improve safer chemicals program by strengthing accountability measures, including conducting its own testing and requiring suppliers to test in third-party approved laboratories.

🛒Whole Foods: 83.75/135 “B+” 🛒

In 2017, Whole Foods scored a B+ for taking significant steps toward ensuring cleaning and body care product are free from certain toxic chemicals. Whole Foods has banned 117 chemicals in body care products and banned 471 chemicals in Premium Body Care products. Whole Foods will be requiring the disclosure of fragrance components on household cleaning products according to CA SB 258 in October 2019 in all states.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Eliminate PFAS, bisphenols & phthalates from food and food contact materials. Augment its practices for holding suppliers accountable to the policy.

Brands Receiving a “C” Retail Report Card Score

🛒Albertsons: 45.25/135 “C-” 🛒

Since Albertson’s announced their chemical policy last year, they have eliminated BPA from all self-manufactured beverage cans. It’s unlikely they have removed all bisphenols from their self-manufactured cans though so we still cannot recommend cans. They maintain a Beyond Restricted Substance List (BRSL) for its Open Nature private-label line of products, certifies a number of private-label products to EPA Safer Choice, has set restrictions on BPA in packaging, and on parabens, phthalates, and triclosan in its private-label baby products.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminating bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Eliminating bisphenols, PFAS, & phthalates in food and food contact materials in their supply chain.

🛒Amazon: 51.75/135 “C” 🛒

They have created a Restricted Substance List (RSL) and targeting 50 chemicals of concern for elimination in Amazon private-brand baby (shampoo, lotion, wipes), household cleaning (all-purpose, kitchen, and bathroom cleaners), personal care (shampoo, sanitizers, moisturizers), and beauty (make-up) products.  Instead of pressuring brands to remove the toxic chemicals they sell, Amazon has instead decided to profile third party certifications on their site instead like Safer Choice, Made Safe, Green Seal, and Cradle 2 Cradle.

Opportunity for Improvement: They should include categories like electronics, apparel, and food, and establish timelines for the removal of bisphenols, PFAS, phthalates from food and food contact materials. Amazon should also join other retailers in banning methylene chloride and NMP in paint and coating removal products.

🛒Best Buy: 54.25/135 “C” 🛒

They have made strides releasing a Chemical Management (Corporate) Statement, which are plans to phase out chemicals of concern and improve chemical management. This company sells and promotes EPEAT certified products that are free of certain hazardous chemicals. Best Buy does NOT have bisphenols on its thermal receipt paper, making their receipts safer to handle.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate halogenated flame retardants in key electronics, such as televisions, and substitute them with safer alternatives.

🛒Costco: 52.75/135 “C” 🛒

Costco made some progress in 2018 by adopting restrictions on toxic chemicals in textiles: apparel, footwear, textile sporting goods, luggage, handbags, home textiles, blankets, sheets, rugs & towels.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminating bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Expanding it’s restrictions to eliminate bisphenols, PFAS & phthalates from food and food contact materials.

🛒Loblaw: 52/135 “C” 🛒

Loblaw has a safer chemicals policy that applies to packaging as well as product. They have a goal of removing triclosan, phthalates, and plastic microbeads from household, beauty, and cosmetic products in two of its private-label product lines by the end of 2018.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Eliminate bisphenols, PFAS, and phthalates from food and food contact materials.

🛒Sephora: 50.25/135 “C” 🛒

Adopted an extensive restricted substance list (RSL) for its private label products, but does not make this list available to the public to see. Sephora also does not appear to apply restrictions on the use of chemicals in products it sells from other brands.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Increase transparency of ingredients of private-label brands by disclosing the constituents of fragrances.

Brands Receiving a “D” Retail Report Card Score

🛒Buy Buy Baby (Bed, Bath & Beyond & buybuy Baby): 36.5/135 “D+” 🛒

This company has stalled its actions for several years. But years ago they restricted BPA in food-contact items, triclosan in personal care products, phthalates, lead and cadmium in baby products, and certain flame retardant chemicals in all products. It urges brands to do additional changes but doesn’t require them to.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Eliminate bisphenols in their food & food contact materials. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy. Create a list of high priority chemicals of concern and a timeline.

🛒Dollar Tree (Family Dollar): 27.5/135 “D” 🛒

In 2017, Dollar Tree announced a Commitment to eliminate 17 priority chemicals by 2020, but has not made any progress toward that goal yet.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Eliminate bisphenols in their food & food contact materials. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy. Create a list of high priority chemicals of concern and a timeline.

🛒KOHLS: 29.75/135 “D” 🛒

Kohls announced a chemical policy on it’s website in 2017, but we’ve seen nothing change or happen since then.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy. Create a list of high priority chemicals of concern and a timeline.

🛒Kroger: 34.75/135 “D+” 🛒

Kroger has no public safer chemicals policy. They stated in 2018 it’s looking into it but nothing has happened. In 2018, they announced they removed parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde donors from several private label health and beauty products like skin lotions, skin cleansers, sunscreens, oral care, and shampoo.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Develop a public written safer chemical policy with clear timelines. Eliminate bisphenols in their food & food contact materials. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy.

🛒Lowe’s: 36/135 “D+” 🛒

Made a commitment to create a public safer chemical policy. Was first company to announce a ban on methylene chloride and NMP in all of it’s stores. Has made a commitment to eliminate phthalates in its flooring by the end of 2025.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Develop a public written safer chemical policy with clear timelines. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy.

🛒Staples: 37.5/135 “D+” 🛒

Staples has committed to releasing a safer chemical policy but is late releasing it. It has made some progress addressing chemical fire retardants in chairs.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper. Develop a public written safer chemical policy with clear timelines. Increase transparency in the company’s chemical policy.

Brands Receiving an “F” Retail Report Card Score

🛒99 Cents Only: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals it sells. This company has a statement but doesn’t explain how they managing the chemicals in its products and ensuring safety beyond regulatory compliance.

Opportunity for improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Develop a public written safer chemical policy, set quantifiable goals and eliminate chemicals of high concern.

🛒Ace Hardware: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals it sells. This is the second year that Ace Hardware has been included and received an F rating.

Opportunity for Improvement: The next time you are at Ace Hardware let them know they should join other retailers in banning methylene chloride and NMP. Also, to eliminate bisphenols in their thermal receipt paper and create a public written safer chemical policy, set quantifiable goals and eliminate chemicals of high concern.

🛒Ahold Delhaize (Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant, & Hannaford): 11.5/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals it sells. However, this year they created a private label brand that has restriction on chemical content, but ti’s not applying this to all private-label products or all products within a category and therefore has not created an actual chemicals policy.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Completely remove bisphenols (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), and phthalates in food packaging and food contact materials.

🛒Dollar General: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals its sells. This company says in it’s code of business it sells “safe products” but offers no details to describe how this is being done beyond basic regulatory compliance.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Completely remove bisphenols (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), and phthalates in food packaging and food contact materials.

🛒Macy’s (Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s & Bluemercury): 13/135 “F” 🛒

Macy’s does not have a public safer chemicals policy. In 2015, they committed to eliminating fire retardants in the furniture it sells, but they haven’t communicated any updates since then.

Opportunity for Improvement: Should report on the status of its commitment to eliminate flame retardants in furniture. Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Completely remove bisphenols (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), and phthalates in food packaging and food contact materials.

🛒McDonald’s: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals it sells. They have no safe chemicals policy.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy. Completely remove bisphenols (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), and phthalates in food packaging and food contact materials.

🛒Nordstrom: 11/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publically address toxic chemicals they sell. They have no safe chemicals policy.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Creating public safe chemicals policy.

🛒Office Depot: 5.5/135 “F” 🛒

This brand has no real public-facing commitments to address the safety of the chemicals in it sells or in its private brands.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines.

🛒Panera Bread: 8.5/135 “F” 🛒

Panera has created a public safe chemicals policy but has not released what the chemicals are on their restricted substance list (RSL). In 2016 they committed to banning PFAS in food packaging but they have not updated the public with information on how that’s going. Panera has a great “no no list” when it comes to food, but they do not extend that to the indirect additives in their food packaging, including PFAS, bisphenols or phthalates.

Opportunity for Improvement: Disclose the chemicals on the RSL list for packaging, making sure to include bisphenols, PFAS & phthalates on that list of chemicals of concern. Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper.

🛒Publix: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate bisphenols, PFAS & phthalates from all food and food contact materials.

🛒Restaurant Brands International (Tim Horton, Burger King, & Popeyes): 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. There are bisphenols, ortho-phthalates & PFAS in their food supply.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate bisphenols, PFAS & phthalates from all food and food contact materials.

🛒Sally Beauty: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines.

🛒Sobey’s: 0/135 of “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. This company makes assurances of enhancing sustainability in packaging but does not address the toxicity.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate phthalates and triclosan from personal care products and completely eliminating bisphenols, PFAS, & phthalates in food and food contact materials. They can also improve transparency by requiring fragrance ingredient disclosure in personal care & cleaning products.

🛒Starbucks: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. Despite public attention to the PFAS, bisphenols, and phthalates in their packaging, they have been silent on all fronts.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate phthalates and triclosan from personal care products and completely eliminating bisphenols, PFAS, & phthalates in food and food contact materials.

🛒Subway: 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. Despite public attention to the PFAS, bisphenols, and phthalates in their packaging, they have been silent to the public on these concerns.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate phthalates and triclosan from personal care products and completely eliminating bisphenols, PFAS, & phthalates in food and food contact materials.

🛒TJx Companies (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, & HomeGoods): 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate phthalates and triclosan from personal care products.

🛒Trader Joe’s: 9.5/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. However, they switched to bisphenol free receipt paper.

Opportunities for Improvement: Develop a comprehensive public written safer chemicals policy, develop and enforce a public list of chemicals of concern, set public goals with a clear timeline and eliminate those chemicals.

🛒Ulta Beauty: 13/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. Labels its reformulated products “free-from” specific chemicals, but is not displaying that information on the website or in the store, making it difficult for consumers to identify safer products. Ulta does not appear to be taking action with suppliers outside their private label brands.

Opportunity for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from their thermal receipt paper. Create public safe chemicals policy with timelines. Eliminate phthalates and triclosan from personal care products. Work to disclose the ingredients in fragrances and close other loopholes in mandatory labeling requirements to demonstrate a greater commitment to transparency.

🛒Yum Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, & Taco Bell): 0/135 “F” 🛒

Fails to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products they sell. Despite public attention to the PFAS, bisphenols, and phthalates in their packaging, they have been silent on all fronts.

Opportunities for Improvement: Eliminate bisphenols from thermal receipt paper. Develop a public written safer chemicals policy covering at least three chemicals, set goals with clear timeline and then elimination of chemicals of concern.