How does Canadian Tire rank on toxic chemicals?

D+

Canadian Tire earned a grade of D+, scoring 38.5 out of 146.5 possible points, ranking 23rd out of the 43 retailers evaluated this year.

Canadian Tire demonstrated progress on toxic chemicals over the past year by making its safer chemicals policy publicly available on its website and by being the fifth North American retailer to commit to phasing out paint stripping products containing the toxic chemicals methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and achieving this commitment by the end of 2018. Canadian Tire also eliminated six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, DNOP) from food contact products (which do not include food packaging); removed heavy metals from children’s, food contact and cosmetics products; eliminated volatile organic compounds from paints; and is currently completing its transition away from brominated flame retardants in all products.

Opportunities for improvement: Canadian Tire can make more progress by setting public quantifiable goals with clear timelines for reducing and eliminating chemicals of high concern (CHCs) that may be present in the products it sells, especially halogenated flame retardants, any phthalates in food contact products, materials and packaging as well as any bisphenols, including BPS from thermal paper receipts. Canadian Tire should extend its efforts to eliminate PFOA and PFOS from water repellency finishes to the entire class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that may be present in those products. Canadian Tire should also become a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project and pilot it with key private label suppliers. Canadian Tire can also improve in the area of transparency by requiring that fragrance ingredients are disclosed online or on the label of personal care and cleaning products and should take steps to ensure supply chain accountability.

Summary of Canadian Tire’s Grade

8.75 out of 17.5 points

Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire has a public written safer chemicals policy to avoid CHCs beyond regulatory compliance in products offered for sale in all of its stores and has a publicly available beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) for certain product categories. Canadian Tire committed to ending the sale of paint stripping products containing methylene chloride or NMP in all of its stores and reports that it achieved this goal by December 31, 2018. Since Canadian Tire gave itself a timeline for this phase-out, we are giving the company partial credit for setting public quantifiable goals, as the company has not set these goals for eliminating other CHCs from other products. Canadian Tire reports that it has also eliminated six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, DNOP) from food contact products (although, not food packaging), volatile organic compounds from paints, and heavy metals from all children’s, food contact and cosmetic products. The company has also reported that it is completing its transition away from brominated flame retardants in all of its products in 2019.

Canadian Tire’s policy does not appear to apply to operations and does not apply to product packaging. Canadian Tire does not have a publicly available manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL) for at least one major product category.

1.25 out of 5 points

Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire has assigned a manager to oversee a recent company decision to eliminate two CHCs from products sold in its stores and to engage with stakeholders on chemical policy-related issues. It’s not clear if the retailer has assigned a member of senior management with responsibility for overseeing action on its safer chemicals policy. Canadian Tire does not appear to offer financial incentives for senior management to implement its safer chemicals policy.

0 out of 12.5 points

Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire has not made any discernible effort to assess supplier conformance with safer chemicals policy or RSL.

0 out of 13 points

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

Explanation of Points

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

13.5 out of 16 points

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

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire committed to ending the sale of paint stripping products containing methylene chloride or NMP in all of its stores by December 31, 2018 and confirmed in 2019 that it has in fact eliminated methylene chloride and NMP from paint stripping products sold at its stores. Canadian Tire also reports that it eliminated VOCs from all paints sold in its stores in recent years and is completing the phaseout of brominated flame retardants from all of its products in 2019 (but the retailer has not provided metrics to quantify its reductions or eliminations in these categories).

0 out of 13.5 points

Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes

Explanation of Points

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

7.5 out of 18 points

Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire’s safer chemicals policy and BRSL for several product categories are publicly available.

Canadian Tire does not appear to encourage or require suppliers to publicly disclose ingredients in products online or on product packaging and does not 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

Canadian Tire 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

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

Extra Credit:

2.5 out of 5 points

Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire briefed Environmental Defence Canada in advance of its commitment to phase out paint strippers containing methylene chloride or NMP as of January 1, 2019.

5 out of 15 points

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

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire made at least one significant improvement to its chemicals management in the past year (since November 2018; by phasing out paint strippers containing methylene chloride and NMP) going beyond regulatory compliance.

0 out of 5 points

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

Explanation of Points

Canadian Tire has no discernible program to feature and market safer products on store shelves and/or website.

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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