Consumers want safer chemicals and ingredients in their products. Thanks to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), companies can do 5 things to ensure safer products.
EDF’s five “key pillars” are:
- Institutional Commitment: A corporate chemicals policy needs to be established.
- Supply Chain Transparency: A manufacturer or retailer needs to be knowledgeable on the chemical used to make the products so they can easily eliminate those which are considered to be unsafe
- .Informed Consumers: Transparency meets customer demands for increased product safety and sustainability.
- Safer Chemicals Plan: EDF says “it provides the structure for evaluating chemical safety with respect to workers, neighboring communities and consumers; prioritizing, managing and eliminating chemicals of concern; and evaluating, determining and introducing safer alternatives. The plan also provides a basis for communication with suppliers, customers and consumers.”
- Public Commitment: Communicate the company’s policy, timelines and progress — successes and pitfalls — towards safer chemicals. This can also lead to useful partnerships with other organizations that can provide expertise and best practices.
