Is your favorite brand poisoning you? Discover the 17 brands labeled as most toxic!
- Replies 0
In today’s modern world, we have a lot of product options to choose from. From big brands we already know and love to small brands we have yet to discover, there’s so many great potential finds out there!
However, in an era where conscious consumerism is more than a trend—it's a responsibility—the latest report from Toxic-Free Future, a nonprofit dedicated to product safety, delivers a sobering wake-up call.
The organization's Retailer Report Card has cast a spotlight on the extensive use of hazardous chemicals in products from some of America's most beloved brands. Which 17 brands do you think are part of the “Toxic Hall of Shame”?
The Unsettling Findings: Who's Failing Us?
The report card, which assesses the safety measures and chemical policies of 50 major retailers in the United States and Canada, has revealed a concerning lack of commitment to non-toxic practices.
Alarmingly, 17 of these retailers received a failing grade, indicating a significant presence of dangerous chemicals in their products.
Among the notable names that have found themselves with an F are popular eateries like Chipotle and Subway, retail giants such as Trader Joe's, Publix, and Macy's, and convenience stores including 7-Eleven. Even specialty stores like LL Flooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators), Nordstrom, and Sally Beauty didn't escape scrutiny.
The report also calls out Inspire Brands and Yum! Brands, parent companies to fast-food staples like Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, KFC, and Taco Bell.
The criteria for these shocking grades? A lack of corporate commitment to eliminating toxic chemicals, poor transparency with suppliers and consumers, and insufficient efforts to ban harmful substances and find safer alternatives.
The Chemical Culprits: PFAS and PVC
The report zeroes in on the use of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), both of which have been linked to significant health and environmental risks.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are notorious for their persistence in the environment and the human body, where they can accumulate over time.
Cheri Peele, Senior Project Manager for Toxic-Free Future remarks, “With PFAS in our drinking water and toxics found in black plastic spatulas, it is shocking how little retailers are doing to help solve this health crisis linked to hazardous chemicals and plastics in consumer products.”
Meanwhile, PVC, dubbed “poison plastic,” is fraught with issues from production to disposal, releasing toxic chlorine gas and dioxins that can harm human health and the ecosystem.
“Simply banning toxic chemicals isn’t enough–retailers must go further to ensure that replacements are truly safer for consumers, communities and workers,” says Mike Shade, director of Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program.
The A-Listers: Who's Passing with Flying Colors?
It's not all doom and gloom, however.
Apple, Sephora, Target, and Walmart have all earned an A for their efforts to prioritize consumer safety by reducing and eliminating dangerous chemicals from their products.
Whole Foods Market, IKEA, and Ulta have also been recognized with a B ranking, with Ulta notably doubling its score from the previous year, showcasing that improvement is indeed achievable.
Amazon finds itself in the middle with a C grade, reflecting a moderate approach to chemical safety and transparency.
Toxic-Free Future discovered that over half of the retailers they tested are banning some dangerous chemicals and harmful plastics, while over 65% are lessening the use of PVC and PFAs–the “forever chemicals.”
The Criteria for Safety
The first criteria that Toxic-Free Future uses is the brands’ corporate commitment to reducing the potentially dangerous chemicals and plastics by collaborating with external organizations, joining the Chemical Footprint Project, and supporting public policies.
Then, an evaluation of the transparency between the retailers and suppliers takes place. Unfortunately, most products–aside from cosmetics, cleaning products, and toiletries–do not come with a chemical ingredient list.
Caroline Boden, director of shareholder advocacy at Mercy Investment Services, points this out by saying, “This lack of transparency puts consumers, businesses, and shareholders at risk.”
Finally, the organization also studies if these retailers have followed the criteria for safer chemicals and adopted “safer solutions” to solve the problem of toxicity.
The report emphasizes the need for retailers to not only ban harmful chemicals but also to actively seek and invest in safer alternatives.
While on the subject of product safety and better alternatives, let’s make sure that these alternatives are also honest to us. Sometimes, we might be conned into thinking that as long as it’s “green”, it’s the better decision to make. Unfortunately, some brands would take advantage of greenwashing, like what happens in this story here.
As we navigate the holiday shopping season, let’s support brands that prioritize our safety and the sustainability of the planet.
Have you changed your shopping habits based on a brand's commitment to safety? Do you have tips for identifying safer products? Join the conversation in the comments below!
However, in an era where conscious consumerism is more than a trend—it's a responsibility—the latest report from Toxic-Free Future, a nonprofit dedicated to product safety, delivers a sobering wake-up call.
The organization's Retailer Report Card has cast a spotlight on the extensive use of hazardous chemicals in products from some of America's most beloved brands. Which 17 brands do you think are part of the “Toxic Hall of Shame”?
Brands have been failing the product safety test lately. Why is this? Image source: Pexels.
The Unsettling Findings: Who's Failing Us?
The report card, which assesses the safety measures and chemical policies of 50 major retailers in the United States and Canada, has revealed a concerning lack of commitment to non-toxic practices.
Alarmingly, 17 of these retailers received a failing grade, indicating a significant presence of dangerous chemicals in their products.
Among the notable names that have found themselves with an F are popular eateries like Chipotle and Subway, retail giants such as Trader Joe's, Publix, and Macy's, and convenience stores including 7-Eleven. Even specialty stores like LL Flooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators), Nordstrom, and Sally Beauty didn't escape scrutiny.
The report also calls out Inspire Brands and Yum! Brands, parent companies to fast-food staples like Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, KFC, and Taco Bell.
The criteria for these shocking grades? A lack of corporate commitment to eliminating toxic chemicals, poor transparency with suppliers and consumers, and insufficient efforts to ban harmful substances and find safer alternatives.
The culprit: poison plastic. Image source: Pexels.
The Chemical Culprits: PFAS and PVC
The report zeroes in on the use of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), both of which have been linked to significant health and environmental risks.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are notorious for their persistence in the environment and the human body, where they can accumulate over time.
Cheri Peele, Senior Project Manager for Toxic-Free Future remarks, “With PFAS in our drinking water and toxics found in black plastic spatulas, it is shocking how little retailers are doing to help solve this health crisis linked to hazardous chemicals and plastics in consumer products.”
Meanwhile, PVC, dubbed “poison plastic,” is fraught with issues from production to disposal, releasing toxic chlorine gas and dioxins that can harm human health and the ecosystem.
“Simply banning toxic chemicals isn’t enough–retailers must go further to ensure that replacements are truly safer for consumers, communities and workers,” says Mike Shade, director of Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program.
The A-Listers: Who's Passing with Flying Colors?
It's not all doom and gloom, however.
Apple, Sephora, Target, and Walmart have all earned an A for their efforts to prioritize consumer safety by reducing and eliminating dangerous chemicals from their products.
Whole Foods Market, IKEA, and Ulta have also been recognized with a B ranking, with Ulta notably doubling its score from the previous year, showcasing that improvement is indeed achievable.
Amazon finds itself in the middle with a C grade, reflecting a moderate approach to chemical safety and transparency.
Toxic-Free Future discovered that over half of the retailers they tested are banning some dangerous chemicals and harmful plastics, while over 65% are lessening the use of PVC and PFAs–the “forever chemicals.”
[*]Only four retailers received an “A” grade for their efforts in ensuring safer products, while the average grade across 50 retailers was a D+. Image source: Pexels.
The Criteria for Safety
The first criteria that Toxic-Free Future uses is the brands’ corporate commitment to reducing the potentially dangerous chemicals and plastics by collaborating with external organizations, joining the Chemical Footprint Project, and supporting public policies.
Then, an evaluation of the transparency between the retailers and suppliers takes place. Unfortunately, most products–aside from cosmetics, cleaning products, and toiletries–do not come with a chemical ingredient list.
Caroline Boden, director of shareholder advocacy at Mercy Investment Services, points this out by saying, “This lack of transparency puts consumers, businesses, and shareholders at risk.”
Finally, the organization also studies if these retailers have followed the criteria for safer chemicals and adopted “safer solutions” to solve the problem of toxicity.
The report emphasizes the need for retailers to not only ban harmful chemicals but also to actively seek and invest in safer alternatives.
While on the subject of product safety and better alternatives, let’s make sure that these alternatives are also honest to us. Sometimes, we might be conned into thinking that as long as it’s “green”, it’s the better decision to make. Unfortunately, some brands would take advantage of greenwashing, like what happens in this story here.
As we navigate the holiday shopping season, let’s support brands that prioritize our safety and the sustainability of the planet.
Have you changed your shopping habits based on a brand's commitment to safety? Do you have tips for identifying safer products? Join the conversation in the comments below!
