Rite Aid

Rite Aid launched a Chemicals Policy in September 2018 in which the company states it is engaging in “ongoing efforts to ensure that we meet the expectations of our customers in terms of the safety of some of the ingredients found in many products we sell today. Rite Aid is committed to working with our supplier partners to ensure the products we sell are safe and healthy for our customers and the environment, and to keeping our stakeholders informed about our continuous efforts and progress in selling safe products.”

Rite Aid has set public, quantifiable goals for reducing and eliminating chemicals of high concern in its products and has created an RSL. Its policy states: “In 2016, Rite Aid committed to eliminating eight chemicals of high concern from its own-brand formulated products by 2020. These chemicals include: triclosan, formaldehyde, toluene, butylparaben, propylparaben, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and nonylphenol ethoxylates.” The company also states that in the remaining months of 2018, it plans to expand its RSL to include 69 chemicals total, will expand its policy to apply to “formulated products made by national brands,” and will encourage suppliers to avoid ingredients not just on its RSL but on the six authoritative lists on the BPC stewardship list, which is made up of thousands of chemicals of concern. The company plans to eventually “extend its chemical policy to cover all of the products sold in its stores.”

The company does not have a publicly available Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL), and the policy does not appear to currently apply to packaging or to its operations, even though the company does state that “[it] will also review [its] operations to identify and act on emerging chemical issues that raise significant consumer concerns.” Rite Aid does not have any stores outside of the U.S.

At least one Rite Aid senior vice president has responsibilities that include chemical safety. This senior VP noted last year: “this topic is important to the entire Rite Aid team, from senior management to the internal teams who make consumer product purchasing decisions every day. We will continue to evaluate our private label … product offerings and work aggressively to ensure new products meet the needs of consumers and contain fewer ingredients of concern.” Another senior VP is also quoted in the press release announcing Rite Aid’s chemicals policy.

The Board of Directors is engaged in implementing the chemicals policy. According to statements by staff, the CEO and Chairman requested that senior staff “take the responsibility of developing a more formalized approach to chemical safety.” Additionally, staff stated that “quarterly Board of Director presentations have included updates within the topic area of ‘Sustainability and Social Responsibility,’ which have presented our progress in developing a public chemical policy, adopting a Restricted Substances List, and developing a roadmap for expanding our use of WERCSmart to monitor and control chemicals in our portfolio.”

It is not clear if there are financial incentives for senior management to implement safer chemicals policies.

Rite Aid’s Chemical Policy states that in 2018 “Rite Aid will screen [formulated national brand] products for chemicals on the RSL and on the Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) Stewardship List.” Staff also told us: “In mid-2018, we began targeted testing of products of concern or requesting third party compliance verification for private brand formulated products” to monitor compliance with the company’s initial elimination commitment for 8 chemicals of high concern. We have awarded half credit for Rite Aid’s internal testing because it is not clear if this testing is routine. We also awarded half credit for the company’s third-party testing because it is not clear how much the company requires this testing to be completed.

According to staff, the company provided the newly released policy and expanded RSL and explained product screening expectations to the nearly 500 supplier partners at its annual supplier conference in September 2018. As of mid-October 2018, the company is finalizing vendor guidance documentation to be uploaded to its Supplier Portal to train vendors “on WERCSmart registration, Rite Aid data consent authorization, and product assessment reporting.”

Rite Aid staff also stated that UL audits suppliers’ product ingredient lists to confirm that supplier responses are accurate.

In September 2018, the company stated in its Chemical Policy that this year, it “will move from survey-based assessments of RSL compliance to automated screening using the WERCSmart platform. Rite Aid will require that own-brand suppliers report all ingredients in their formulated products to WERCSmart.” According to staff, WERCSmart allows the company to identify the ingredients in fragrances; WERCSmart’s records do not typically include information on contaminants or byproducts.

In 2017, Rite Aid stated: “Since last fall, we have seen a 59% decrease in both the number of suppliers reporting any presence of the CHCs Rite Aid is focusing on in formulated products and a 49% decrease in the reported number of total products containing the same CHCs. …[and] suppliers have indicated that the following four CHCs no longer exist in formulated products: triclosan, formaldehyde, diethyl phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate.”

In September 2018, Rite Aid stated: “The number of suppliers producing own-brand products for Rite Aid that contain these [initially listed chemicals of high concern] has dropped by 64%.” The company went on to state: “Most recent supplier surveys indicate that the number of own-brand products containing any of these [initially listed chemicals of high concern] has decreased by 54%.” The company noted: “Rite Aid is on track to meet our elimination commitment by 2020.” This indicates additional progress toward Rite Aid’s goals. The company plans to begin reporting additional metrics starting in 2019, particularly progress towards the 100% elimination goal and the number of new products launched in a year that are free of these eight chemicals of high concern.

Rite Aid employees stated in 2017: “Since the initial survey [for suppliers] was released, we have been actively working with suppliers to eliminate these chemicals and reformulate products using safer alternatives.”

Rite Aid’s RSL states: “We encourage our supplier partners to utilize safer alternatives identified by the EPA Safer Chemicals Ingredients List.” According to its policy, the company plans to also “encourage suppliers to avoid ingredients on its RSL and the BPC Stewardship List.”

Rite Aid’s safer chemicals policy and Beyond Restricted Substance List (BRSL) are both publicly available. The company has also disclosed the identity of the six authoritative and regulatory lists that comprise the Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) stewardship list, which it plans to screen products against.

Rite Aid states in its 2018 policy that it: “will encourage suppliers to publicly disclose all ingredients online or on pack, including the constituents of fragrance and other generic ingredients.” Staff added that the company is at first solely focusing on intentionally added ingredients, as opposed to contaminants or byproducts.

Additionally, Rite Aid has search filters allowing customers to more easily search for products in the Skin Care and/or Bath & Body categories that are paraben-free and phthalate-free under the heading of “Ingredient Preference.”

No discernible progress on chemical footprint.

No discernible progress on credible third-party safer chemicals standards going beyond regulatory compliance. Rite Aid does state in its 2018 policy that it plans to “promote third-party certifications, such as US EPA Safer Choice products,” but the company does not appear to currently promote these certifications.

Rite Aid participated in a joint announcement with the Mind the Store campaign about its newly public chemical policy in September 2018.

In September 2018, Rite Aid publicly posted its safer chemicals policy and RSL. The company also reported additional progress in reducing the number of own-brand products with the chemicals it designated as chemicals of high concern and in reducing the number of suppliers reporting products with these chemicals. Rite Aid also explicitly stated that it asks suppliers to use ingredients on the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) so that alternatives are safer. Rite Aid set a number of goals for the near future, ranging from screening its own products and formulated products against an expanded list of chemicals to requiring increased disclosure of ingredients to Rite Aid and encouraging some disclosure to customers.

Rite Aid’s website has a variety of search filters allowing customers to more easily search for products, at least in the skin care and bath & body subcategories within personal care. Under the heading of “Ingredient Preference,” the filters denote products that are labeled: all natural, BPA free, fragrance free, paraben free, petroleum free, phthalate free, preservative free, sulfate free, and talc free. The company also provides filters under “Allergy Option” for fragrance free, talc free, and dye free products.

The company notes on its website that it is still in the process of redesigning its stores as “Wellness Stores,” and it highlights as an offering: “All-natural personal care and home care products.” It is unclear how much signage this section will have in-store.

As stated in its 2018 policy: “Rite Aid will align its activities with other retail sector initiatives that are designed to provide suppliers with consistent guidance about the chemicals which retailers believe require special stewardship efforts to meet consumer demand for safer products. Rite Aid is seeking to join the multi-stakeholder BPC initiative and request that all Rite Aid suppliers of beauty and personal care products participate in its Product Sustainability Rating System.”

Rite Aid staff later added that the company is “committed to being an active contributor to the group” and as of October 5, 2018 is proceeding through the membership application process, which has included “reviewing the BPC Leadership Group’s goals for alignment with Rite Aid’s.”

No indication that company invests significant financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives to chemicals of high concern and/or green chemistry solutions.