Mark Eastham, a student from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, developed an Implementation Guide for the recently released Walmart Policy on Sustainable Chemistry in Consumables products.
Eastham worked with a diverse group of stakeholders at Walmart to develop a guide to be used by company’s suppliers in complying with the Policy on Sustainable Chemistry. The policy prioritizes certain chemicals of concern for continuous reduction, restriction, and elimination from Walmart’s consumables product offering. Consumables products include beauty, personal care, and cleaning.
“The work to develop an implementation guide for our suppliers is an extremely important step needed to ensure that the products we supply to our customers are both safe for consumption and good for the environment.” said Chris Cochran, Walmart Senior Manager of Sustainability, “Eastham provided a valuable basis for the recently published Implementation Guide, which provides instrumental resources, information, and materials for our suppliers to move towards more sustainable chemistry in their product formation.”
Eastham worked with Walmart NGO partner, Environmental Defense Fund, and also various merchant teams at Walmart to compile material and resources relevant to product ingredient disclosure, chemical alternative assessments and formation, human and environmental chemical risk characteristics, as well as innovation opportunities for suppliers. Eastham managed material input, structuring, and content development for the guide so that it would best align with, and provide guidance for, the asks of the Policy on Sustainable Chemistry.
“Throughout the project, I was surprised by the level of complexity that surrounds chemicals of concern today both in terms of environmental and health impacts as well as current legislation and retail activity on the issue,” Eastham said. “It was great to work on a project that would directly contribute to reductions of chemicals of concern from the products that Walmart customers purchase every day.”
Walmart believes that it is their responsibility to sell products that are not only affordable but that are produced in a responsible and sustainable way. Walmart aims to work with suppliers and industry to accelerate the adoption and use of sustainable chemistry practices to meet the needs of its customers and the environment.
About Walmart
Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department and warehouse stores. The company is the world’s second largest public corporation and works to let customers shop anytime and anywhere online, through mobile devices and in its stores. In the United States, Walmart works to provide every day low prices on a broad assortment of its products so that its customers can save money and live better. Walmart operates more than 11,000 retail units under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries and employs 2.2 million associates around the world — 1.3 million in the U.S. alone. The company has three aspirational sustainability goals which are to 1) be supplied 100% by renewable energy, 2) create zero waste and 3) to sell products that sustain people and the environment.
More information about the Walmart is available at http://www.corporate.walmart.com
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