safer chemicals

I am SO EXCITED to meet you! Wait, don’t run away! I’m not dangerous! I want to talk to you about something that IS dangerous: toxic PFAS in my humans’ clothes!

In a major victory for Clean Water Action and the Mind the Store campaign, Burger King has announced a ban on toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in their food packaging by 2025.

Last month, TJX—the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, and Sierra Trading Post—announced on its website it is developing an expanded “Chemical Management” strategy. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) and other toxic chemicals found in many products, such as clothing, carpets, furniture, firefighting foam, adhesives, and food and beverage containers. PFAS-treated food packaging is a major source of human exposure to PFAS via contaminated food and drinking water.

This week, we helped to release the 4^th annual Who’s Minding the Store? www.retailerreportcard.org report card grading 43 major retailers on their actions to keep toxic chemicals out of products and packaging.

We’re celebrating some big wins with our Mind the Store campaign work this fall! This campaign focuses on targeting major retailers and urging them to work with their suppliers to shift away from toxic chemicals in products, including the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS or per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Recent highlights include: 

September 17, 2019: Home Depot announces it will no longer sell carpets or textiles containing PFAS chemicals.

Clean Water is pressing the state of Massachusetts to develop systems to oversee the emerging nano-technology industry. 

Learn more about our fight to protect Connecticut's waterways from PFAS contamination.

Our members are familiar with many of the aspects of Clean Water Action advocacy: promoting legislation, endorsing candidates, field and phone canvassing, educational outreach.

Several of our state offices also do direct engagement with the business community to promote best practices on issues like chemical policy and waste management. Our New England offices (Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts) have been working for over a year with management at CVS Health on developing a safer chemical policy.