IC2 Webinar: Walmart and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) on Chemical Ingredient Disclosure

Retailers need detailed information to handle chemical products safely in accordance with various regulations promulgated by federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as similar regulations promulgated by various agencies at a state level. The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) led a multi-stakeholder project to develop GS1 data standards for regulatory attributes of formulated products. In this webinar, Sue Pifer, RILA’s Vice President of Compliance, provided an overview of the project from inception to the current pilot, including the challenges from a project management perspective—for example, building a data map to clarify the roles and responsibilities for the envisioned data streams. In addition, Ashley C. Hall, Senior Manager of Sustainability for Walmart Stores Inc., provided an overview of the process Walmart uses to manage information with UL/Wercs and monitor progress on high priority chemical reduction. Walmart’s policy on sustainable chemistry in consumables, launched in 2013, seeks to remove substances of high concern from goods such as personal care, paper, cleaning, pet, and baby products. The policy also addresses transparency and disclosure as well as a commitment to the U.S. EPA Safer Choice program for Walmart’s private brand products.