As we found in our last report card, Dollar General is still failing to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products it sells. With a letter grade of F, it was one of twelve retailers (out of 40) in our review to score zero points with no meaningful public-facing commitments to address the safety of chemicals used in the products it sells. While Dollar General states in its 2018 Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that it “is committed to selling safe products that meet or exceed our Company’s standards, as well as legal and regulatory requirements,” this statement does not describe how the company is managing the chemicals in its products and ensuring product safety or what the company is doing to go beyond basic regulatory compliance. The company does not appear to have a Beyond Restricted Substance List or otherwise require disclosure or elimination of chemicals of high concern.
Opportunities for improvement: Dollar General can make progress by developing a public written safer chemicals policy, developing and enforcing a public Beyond Restricted Substance List, and setting public quantifiable goals with clear timelines for reducing and eliminating chemicals of high concern. Dollar General should also become a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project and pilot it with key private-label suppliers.
Summary of Dollar General’s Grade
0 out of 17.5 points
Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy
In its 2018 Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the company only provides the following vague statements: “Dollar General is committed to selling safe products that meet or exceed our Company’s standards, as well as legal and regulatory requirements….Vendors must ensure the safety and performance of the products and services they provide to us. In turn, we are responsible for addressing any failure to meet our quality and safety standards.”
0 out of 7.5 points
Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives
0 out of 10 points
Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability
0 out of 10 points
Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer
0 out of 15 points
Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern within the last three years
0 out of 10 points
Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes
0 out of 15 points
Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure
Dollar General’s website does list ingredients (and claims such as “phthalate-free”) for some products sold online. However, the company does not appear to encourage or require this disclosure on product packaging or encourage or require the public disclosure of the identity of articles or formulated products that are free of chemicals of high concern going beyond regulatory compliance pursuant to any safer chemicals policy (because Dollar General has no chemicals policy).
0 out of 7.5 points
Chemical Footprint: Evaluates its chemical footprint
0 out of 7.5 points
Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third party standards for safer products
Extra Credit:
0 out of 5 points
Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement
0 out of 15 points
Continuous Improvement: Shows continuous improvement by steadily expanding safer chemicals policy
0 out of 5 points
Safer Products: Program to promote safer products in stores and/or on website
0 out of 5 points
Collaboration: Actively participates in collaborative process to promote safer chemicals
0 out of 5 points
Impact Investment: Investing financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives and/or green chemistry solutions