Office Depot (which includes OfficeMax) is failing to publicly address toxic chemicals in the products it sells. With a grade of F and a score of 5.5 points out of 135, it ranked 29th among 40 retailers evaluated. It scored only minimal points for offering consumers a pathway to potentially safer products on its website, as well as for “recommending” suppliers of its private-label products utilize third-party standards. Otherwise, the retailer has no significant public-facing commitments to address the safety of chemicals used in the products it sells or in its private brands. This is the second year that Office Depot has been included in the Retailer Report Card and its second year of earning an F. It has shown minimal signs of responding to consumer demand for safer chemicals policies.
Office Depot does promote “green” products and those with “reduced chemicals,” but offers no criteria, credible third-party certifications, or disclosures in order to justify such claims. While some products in these categories list specific, credible certifications, one has to read each product description on a product-by-product basis to determine this. It also recommends, but does not require, its suppliers to seek “…safer alternatives for chemicals used in products, packaging…” and to otherwise reduce the use of hazardous chemicals. While we hope that Office Depot’s suppliers accept that recommendation, the lack of requirements, even for just monitoring of progress, and the lack of a clear set of standards to be met prevent us from awarding points to Office Depot.
Opportunities for improvement: Office Depot can make progress by developing a public written safer chemicals policy, setting public quantifiable goals with clear timelines for reducing and eliminating chemicals of high concern, and requiring its suppliers to follow through with the “recommendations” that Office Depot is already making. Office Depot should also become a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project and pilot it with key private label suppliers.
Note — our assessment is primarily based on the policies and practices of Office Depot, the parent company of Office Max.
Summary of Office Depot’s Grade
0 out of 17.5 points
Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy
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
Office Depot does not appear to encourage or require the disclosure of ingredients in products online or on product packaging or publicly disclose the identity of articles or formulated products that are free of chemicals of high concern going beyond regulatory compliance.
0 out of 7.5 points
Chemical Footprint: Evaluates its chemical footprint
3 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
2.5 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