Target hopes to eliminate "unwanted chemicals" from Target-brand products sold in its stores in coming years, the retail giant said in its latest set of sustainability goals.
Chemical Watch reports that the Minnesota-based company issued a recent sustainability update that called for the identification and elimination of hazardous chemicals from its manufacturing processes and in final products.
The company also aimed to encourage "supporting industries" to adopt "green chemistry principles," and called for an expanded list of hazardous substances and an increased focus on transparency.
“More than ever, our guests want to know where their products come from,” Target Sourcing Services president Kelly Caruso told CW.
Target and Walmart — the nation's second-largest and largest discount retailers, respectively — each received the highest grades in a recent study of retail chemical practices by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families.
The advocacy group particularly praised Target's evaluations of supplier transparency and the addition of more product categories — namely cosmetics and personal care products — to its initiative.
Although the group called for additional improvements — including incentives for its suppliers to conform to third-party standards — officials said that the new goals were a good step for the nation's retail sector.
“We look forward to seeing Target disclose additional information on this new initiative and collaborating with them to drive harmful chemicals out of global supply chains,” Mike Schade, who directs the group's Mind the Store campaign, told CW.
