In late February Walmart announced that it will begin requiring its suppliers to exercise transparency, safety, and sustainability in formulating products. Given the extent of the phasing-out period, as well as Walmart's less-than-stellar track record, some consumers may be wary of Walmart's promises. To be honest, we are too, but we're willing to give Walmart a chance. Besides, if Walmart won't regulate its supply chain, who will? The US government has yet to enforce environmental regulations in manufacturing on a large scale.
The policy's Implementation Guide lists the affected categories for both Walmart and Sam's Club: health and beauty, cosmetics and skincare, paper goods, pet supplies, household chemicals, baby care, tabletop and bags, and laundry and home care. (Some of these obviously overlap). In the interest of transparency, suppliers will have to disclose full product formulations to The Wercs through WERCSmart. Beginning in January 2015, you will be able to go to a supplier's website to view all product ingredients by product, and starting in January 2018, suppliers will have to display Walmart Priority Chemicals on the actual packaging of the items. Priority chemicals contain human health and/or environmental hazards, such as endocrine disrupters, persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), chemicals of high concern (CHCs), chemicals of high concern to children (CHCCs), substances subject to authorization, carcinogens, mutagens, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and reproductive toxicants.
For the website disclosures, Walmart will not only require suppliers to comply with the guidelines set out in the EPA's "Design for the Environment Standard for Safer Product's"and the CSPA's "Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative," but will expect them to include the ingredient CAS numbers, ingredients usually protected under trade secrets, known residuals, contaminants and by-products, ingredient functions and uses, the product formula number, hazard information (e.g. MSDS/SDS data), and any priority chemicals that have been removed from the product or portfolio of products. Walmart will measure a supplier's transparency by the percentage of products with online and on-pack ingredient disclosure.
Walmart's policy aims to go beyond transparency and to influence how suppliers formulate their products. Indeed, what's the use of knowing about hazardous substances if they're not being removed from everyday products? Walmart will ask suppliers to fill out Sustainability Index questionnaires, which are based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and developed by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). In addition, suppliers should use informed substitution principles to "reduce, restrict, and eliminate" priority chemicals in their products. Informed substitution involves replacing hazardous substances with safer or non-chemical-based ones. Walmart recommends that suppliers use the "Common Principles of Alternatives Assessment" when substituting ingredients. Walmart will measure suppliers' compliance by the weight and sales volume of products with priority chemicals, the number of products and suppliers with priority chemicals, and the GreenWERCS Score. WERCSmart intends to modify its site so that a supplier will be notified if their submitted formulation contains any priority chemicals. This modification will also apply to formulations currently entered on the site. Walmart expects suppliers to change the ingredients of products containing priority chemicals as soon as possible.
Wait a minute. This all sounds promising, but isn't it a little hypocritical? How can Walmart ask its suppliers to comply with these standards while its private brands remain unchanged? Last month, as a matter of fact, Walmart began reformulating and relabeling its cleaning products to meet the criteria for the EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. It intends to apply these criteria to other categories in the future. Under this program, every single ingredient of a product is evaluated for human health and environmental effects; the performance, label, and packaging also undergo evaluation. When you see a DfE label, you know you're getting the safest, most sustainable product in its class.
It remains to be seen how effective Walmart's new policy will be, but this does represent a major step forward for oft-criticized global retail. We as responsible consumers can now look forward, albeit cautiously, to a future with greater visibility of ingredients and safer manufacturing processes.
The policy's Implementation Guide lists the affected categories for both Walmart and Sam's Club: health and beauty, cosmetics and skincare, paper goods, pet supplies, household chemicals, baby care, tabletop and bags, and laundry and home care. (Some of these obviously overlap). In the interest of transparency, suppliers will have to disclose full product formulations to The Wercs through WERCSmart. Beginning in January 2015, you will be able to go to a supplier's website to view all product ingredients by product, and starting in January 2018, suppliers will have to display Walmart Priority Chemicals on the actual packaging of the items. Priority chemicals contain human health and/or environmental hazards, such as endocrine disrupters, persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), chemicals of high concern (CHCs), chemicals of high concern to children (CHCCs), substances subject to authorization, carcinogens, mutagens, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and reproductive toxicants.
For the website disclosures, Walmart will not only require suppliers to comply with the guidelines set out in the EPA's "Design for the Environment Standard for Safer Product's"and the CSPA's "Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative," but will expect them to include the ingredient CAS numbers, ingredients usually protected under trade secrets, known residuals, contaminants and by-products, ingredient functions and uses, the product formula number, hazard information (e.g. MSDS/SDS data), and any priority chemicals that have been removed from the product or portfolio of products. Walmart will measure a supplier's transparency by the percentage of products with online and on-pack ingredient disclosure.
Walmart's policy aims to go beyond transparency and to influence how suppliers formulate their products. Indeed, what's the use of knowing about hazardous substances if they're not being removed from everyday products? Walmart will ask suppliers to fill out Sustainability Index questionnaires, which are based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and developed by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). In addition, suppliers should use informed substitution principles to "reduce, restrict, and eliminate" priority chemicals in their products. Informed substitution involves replacing hazardous substances with safer or non-chemical-based ones. Walmart recommends that suppliers use the "Common Principles of Alternatives Assessment" when substituting ingredients. Walmart will measure suppliers' compliance by the weight and sales volume of products with priority chemicals, the number of products and suppliers with priority chemicals, and the GreenWERCS Score. WERCSmart intends to modify its site so that a supplier will be notified if their submitted formulation contains any priority chemicals. This modification will also apply to formulations currently entered on the site. Walmart expects suppliers to change the ingredients of products containing priority chemicals as soon as possible.
Wait a minute. This all sounds promising, but isn't it a little hypocritical? How can Walmart ask its suppliers to comply with these standards while its private brands remain unchanged? Last month, as a matter of fact, Walmart began reformulating and relabeling its cleaning products to meet the criteria for the EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. It intends to apply these criteria to other categories in the future. Under this program, every single ingredient of a product is evaluated for human health and environmental effects; the performance, label, and packaging also undergo evaluation. When you see a DfE label, you know you're getting the safest, most sustainable product in its class.
It remains to be seen how effective Walmart's new policy will be, but this does represent a major step forward for oft-criticized global retail. We as responsible consumers can now look forward, albeit cautiously, to a future with greater visibility of ingredients and safer manufacturing processes.
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