EDF: Market Sustainability: Retailer Initiatives

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Market Sustainability: Market Sustainability: Retailer InitiativesRetailer Initiatives

Cal Baier-Anderson, PhD

Senior Health Scientist

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Opportunities for Opportunities for Engagement to Enhance Engagement to Enhance

SustainabilitySustainabilityConsumerDemand

Retail

Product Formulation

Chemical Production & Management

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Chemical Production & Chemical Production & Management Management

• Regulatory Mechanisms– Toxic Substances Control Act

– Kid Safe Chemicals Act

• Voluntary Mechanisms– High Production Volume Challenge Program

– Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation Program

– ChAMP

• Challenges to both approaches

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Formulator InitiativesFormulator Initiatives

• Self Certification

• Third Party Certification

• EPA’s Design for the Environment

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Consumer FocusConsumer Focus

• Avoidance lists

• Web-based shopping guides

• New trends

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Avoidance ListsAvoidance Lists

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Shopping GuidesShopping Guides

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

EDF Supports Retailer EDF Supports Retailer Initiatives Initiatives

• Provide products made with less hazardous chemicals

• Reduce waste handling costs

• Address consumer concerns

• Downstream benefits for both environmental and human health

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Multi-stakeholder ProcessMulti-stakeholder Process

• Retailer

• Suppliers

• Formulators

• Trade groups

• Consumer groups

• Environmental groups

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Third Party ReviewThird Party Review

• Protects everyone

– Trade secrets and CBI

– Retailer confidence

– Consumer confidence

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Defining Safer ChemicalsDefining Safer Chemicals

• Compare like products

• Identify known “bad actor” chemicals

• Identify chemicals of emerging concern

• Promote use of safer alternatives based on data comparison

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

ChallengesChallenges

• Finding common ground regarding criteria

• Availability of publically accessible tox data

• Virtually no exposure information

• Simplifying complex information

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

How Much Science is How Much Science is Sufficient?Sufficient?

No No InformationInformation

Complete Complete InformationInformation

Precautionary Precautionary DecisionsDecisions

Evidence-Based Evidence-Based DecisionsDecisions

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

TransparencyTransparency

• Increases confidence

• Builds relationships

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

Retailer Sustainability Initiatives

Opportunities for Opportunities for CollaborationCollaboration

• Business NGO Work Group: http://www.busngoworkgroup.org/about.php

• GC3: http://greenchemistryandcommerce.org/home.php

• TURI: http://www.turi.org/