Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. lead the industry in the latest round of grades released by watchdog group Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. The report ranks companies on how much information they disclose about potentially harmful ingredients in the products they sell, as well as the steps they’ve taken to eliminate them.
Ikea and Apple Inc. were the other two companies to receive the highest marks in the study. Nineteen companies, meanwhile, received failing grades, including Dollar General Inc., Macy’s Inc. and McDonald’s Corp.
Key Insights
E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. received a C grade — an improvement from the D it got a year ago. The Seattle-based company is putting pressure on privately owned brands that sell on its platform to eliminate harmful chemicals. Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families says companies are making “slow but meaningful progress” in improving the safety of products and packaging.
Twenty-one of the 29 retailers that were evaluated both this year and last improved their score in 2018. Some industries remain resistant to change, however. Department stores like Kohl’s Corp. and Nordstrom Inc. received low marks, along with restaurant operators like Panera Bread, Starbucks Inc., Subway and Yum! Brands Inc.
Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families says companies haven’t done enough to limit the use of substances such as formaldehyde and BPA in products such as household cleaners and cosmetics. While these ingredients aren’t deemed as harmful by U.S. regulators, some retailers, states and localities have restricted their use.
Company Grades
Apple (A+), Ikea (A-), Target, Walmart (A-) A Aldi (B-), CVS Health (B+), Home Depot (B-), Rite Aid (B+), Walgreens (B-), Whole Foods (B+) B Albertsons (C-), Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Loblaw, Sephora C Buy Buy Baby (D+), Dollar Tree, Kohl’s, Kroger (D+), Lowe’s (D+), Staples (D+) D 99 Cents Only, Ace Hardware, Ahold Delhaize, Dollar General, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Nordstrom, Office Depot, Panera Bread, Publix, Restaurant Brands International, Sally Beauty, Sobeys, Starbucks, Subway, TJX Cos., Trader Joe’s, Ulta, Yum Brands F
