How does Ace Hardware rank on toxic chemicals?

Ace Hardware is still failing to publicly address toxic chemicals that may be in the products it sells. With a letter grade of F and a score of 11.5 points out of 146.5, it ranked 32nd out of the 43 retailers evaluated this year.

This is the third year that Ace Hardware has been included in the report card and its third year earning an F. While in years past the retailer earned zero points, this year it earned 11.5 points for taking action to eliminate paint removers that contain the toxic chemicals methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Ace was a target of a Mind The Store petition with over 90,000 signatures calling for this after falling behind many of its peers in the hardware sector in eliminating these chemicals. While the action was late in coming – and the company left the door open for its franchisees to continue to sell those deadly products – the action was not required by regulatory actions and represents a small step in the right direction.

As a retail cooperative, most Ace stores are independently owned and operated and have some flexibility in determining what they stock and market. However, the Ace Hardware company is responsible for selecting private-label products and can influence what is marketed at its member stores. While some local Ace stores have made progress in promoting safer products, leadership is clearly needed from the company to commit to addressing chemicals of high concern (CHCs) and identifying and promoting safer alternatives.

Opportunities for improvement: Ace Hardware can make progress by developing a public written safer chemicals policy, developing and enforcing a comprehensive public beyond restricted substance list (BRSL), and setting comprehensive public quantifiable goals with clear timelines for reducing and eliminating any CHCs, especially per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxic flame retardants, and phthalates that may be in products it sells. Ace Hardware should also become a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project and pilot it with key private label suppliers.

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Summary of Ace Hardware’s Grade

2.5 out of 17.5 points

Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy

Explanation of Points

In February 2019, Ace Hardware became the 13th U.S. retailer to announce it would stop selling paint removers containing the toxic chemicals methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Partial credit is awarded for its limited BRSL of methylene chloride and NMP in paint removers and for setting these goals as the company has not set goals for eliminating other CHCs from other products.

Ace Hardware has no public written safer chemicals policy, has not set public quantifiable goals for reducing and eliminating CHCs (besides methylene chloride and NMP in paint removal products), and does not have a publicly available BRSL (other than as noted above) or a publicly available manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL).

0 out of 5 points

Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not assigned senior management to implement the company’s safer chemicals policy.

0 out of 12.5 points

Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not made any discernible effort to assess supplier conformance with safer chemicals policy or RSL (because Ace Hardware has no public written safer chemicals policy).

0 out of 13 points

Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not taken any discernible action on suppliers disclosing ingredients to the retailer, going beyond regulatory compliance.

3 out of 16 points

Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern (CHCs) within the last three years

Explanation of Points

In February 2019, Ace Hardware became the 13th U.S. retailer to announce it would stop selling paint removers containing the toxic chemicals methylene chloride and NMP. The company noted, however, that its independently-owned franchisees could still decide to stock the strippers after it stopped distributing them in July 2019.

0 out of 13.5 points

Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware does not have a discernible approach regarding or has not made a public commitment to safer alternatives in products, packaging, or operations.

1 out of 18 points

Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has publicized its limited beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) of NMP and methylene chloride in paint strippers, so partial credit is awarded for this component.

The retailer has no broader public beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) or manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL), and has not committed to disclosing either of those items in 2020.

Ace Hardware does not appear to encourage or require suppliers to publicly disclose ingredients in products online or on product packaging and does not itself publicly disclose the identity of articles or formulated products that are free of CHCs going beyond regulatory compliance.

0 out of 7.5 points

Chemical Footprint: Evaluates its chemical footprint

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not made any discernible progress on measuring its chemical footprint via the Chemical Footprint Project.

0 out of 8.5 points

Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third party standards for safer products

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not shown discernible progress on credible third-party safer chemicals standards going beyond regulatory compliance.

Extra Credit:

0 out of 5 points

Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has not made a discernible public commitment through a joint announcement or other coordination effort in advance of a major announcement within the time periods specified in the scoring rubric.

5 out of 15 points

Continuous Improvement: Shows continuous improvement by steadily expanding safer chemicals policy

Explanation of Points

0 out of 5 points

Safer Products: Program to promote safer products in stores and/or on website

Explanation of Points

Ace Hardware has no discernible program to feature and market safer products on store shelves and/or website (although some independently-owned Ace Hardware stores have undertaken their own efforts to do so).

0 out of 5 points

Collaboration: Actively participates in collaborative process to promote safer chemicals

Explanation of Points

There is no indication that the retailer actively participates in a collaborative process or retains an independent expert body to promote safer chemicals or that it has created an external advisory board to provide input on implementation of the policy.

0 out of 5 points

Impact Investment: Investing financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives and/or green chemistry solutions

Explanation of Points

There is no indication that the retailer invests significant financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives to CHCs and/or green chemistry solutions.

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