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Pure Strategies Report Demonstrates the Power of Chemical Footprinting in Unlocking a Safer Materials Strategy

Radio Flyer’s efforts to quantify their chemical footprint are accelerating their development of a safer chemicals strategy

Pure Strategies Report Demonstrates the Power of Chemical Footprinting in Unlocking a Safer Materials Strategy

Radio Flyer’s efforts to quantify their chemical footprint are accelerating their development of a safer chemicals strategy

Published 05-09-17

Submitted by OLD Pure Strategies

A new report from sustainability consulting firm, Pure Strategies, demonstrates the power of understanding corporate chemical footprints as a platform for crafting and advancing a proactive approach to chemicals management. A June 6th webinar, “The Power of Chemical Fooptrinting” will delve into these findings further.

The report, “The Power of Chemical Footprinting: Radio Flyer Unlocks Their Safer Materials Strategy,” provides an in-depth view of how one company is transitioning to greater chemical transparency and safer products and supply chains. Radio Flyer, the iconic toy maker, reveals how to take the steps needed to move to more sustainable chemicals management and gain broad business value.

“The demand for safer chemistry from consumers, retailers and investors has never been higher,” notes Tim Greiner, Pure Strategies Managing Director. “Businesses that are addressing potential chemicals of concern are building trust and enhancing relationships with important stakeholders.  They are also gaining sales growth, reducing regulatory and reputational risk and improving productivity by proactively addressing safer chemistry during planned development cycles. These are the companies that will thrive in the future.” 

Building on its existing restricted substances list (RSL) and public PVC-free product goal, Radio Flyer sought to deepen its chemicals management efforts. To assess potential areas for program improvement, the company turned to the Chemical Footprint Project, a corporate benchmarking tool focused on chemicals management. The tool helps companies self-assess their performance in the areas of managing, inventorying, measuring, and disclosing their chemicals use.  The survey results helped Radio Flyer identify that quantifying the company’s chemical footprint was an easily understood and powerful metric for accelerating and tracking progress in chemicals management. 

The company engaged key suppliers of top-selling products across its portfolio to quantify ingredients such as those added to plastic and wood. Radio Flyer faced challenges ranging from limited supplier knowledge to a lack of available staff resources that are common to many companies. They note that these challenges can be overcome, and that the benefits gained included greater chemical transparency as well as deeper supplier relationships.

“Radio Flyer is a company committed to creating outstanding, safe kids’ products, and chemical safety and transparency is vital to our success,” comments Eric Selner, Director of Operations & Sustainability at Radio Flyer. “Participating in the Chemical Footprint Project survey has been critical, as the survey has provided a blueprint for a strong chemicals management program. The footprinting effort and related steps we have taken have helped us reach new levels of achievement across our broad chemicals management program.” 

Companies as varied as Seventh Generation and Walmart, both also discussed in the report, know that robust chemicals management programs strengthen relationships, productivity and growth. For those just getting started, examples such as Radio Flyer’s can provide a roadmap for gaining the benefits of a strengthened chemicals management program.    

June 6th webinar will demonstrate the benefits of chemical footprinting
An upcoming webinar, “The Power of Chemical Footprinting” will feature Mark Rossi of Clean Production Action, Pure Strategies’ Tim Greiner and Eric Selner of Radio Flyer. The team will explore Radio Flyer’s experience conducting a chemical footprint and share tips on how other companies can use this process to accelerate a safer materials strategy. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, June 6th at 11 am EDT. To learn more, visit the registration page.

Pure Strategies is now a licensed GreenScreen® Consultant 
While footprinting helps set a baseline and reveal proactive chemicals management approaches, practical tools are also needed to spur the transition to safer chemistries. Clean Production Action recently debuted the GreenScreen Certified™ Standard for Textile Chemicals, providing a transparent hazard assessment framework to promote the use of safer chemicals.  Pure Strategies is one of only three licensed GreenScreen® Consultants with the training and expertise to offer services on how the GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals tools can support client chemicals management and sustainability goals.  

About the Report
Pure Strategies has supported Radio Flyer’s sustainability program since 2010.  In 2015, our team helped the company complete its first Chemical Footprint Survey and take the steps in 2016 and 2017 to quantify its chemical footprint.  We are documenting the effort in a public report so other companies can leverage their learning.  Other companies cited, Walmart and Seventh Generation, are also Pure Strategies’ clients.

About Pure Strategies
Pure Strategies has been transforming business through sustainability performance since 1998. Our team helps companies initiate and enhance existing sustainability programs by setting meaningful goals, devising effective management strategies, and making changes to products and supply chains that deliver value to the business and society. Our clients include Walmart, Annie’s Homegrown, Organic Valley, Seventh Generation, Colgate-Palmolive, Ben & Jerry’s, and Radio Flyer. Pure Strategies is proud to be a Co-Founder of The Chemical Footprint Project, a licensed GreenScreen® Consultant, and a member of the Green Chemistry in Commerce Council.  Learn more about our chemicals management expertise here.

For more information, contact:
Cheryl Baldwin, VP of Consulting, Pure Strategies, Inc.
cbaldwin@purestrategies.com
703-763-2797

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OLD Pure Strategies

OLD Pure Strategies

Pure Strategies, a leading U.S. sustainability consulting firm, helps organizations gain strategic and financial benefits by helping them improve the sustainability of their organizations, their products, and their supply chains. Our team includes experts in corporate sustainability strategy and reporting, life cycle assessment (LCA), chemicals and materials assessment, product sustainability, and supply chain sustainability assessment and engagement. Our clients include Stonyfield Farm, Seventh Generation, The North Face, Walmart, EMD Millipore, Biogen, and other leading consumer products and B2B companies.

Learn more about our services: http://www.purestrategies.com/services

 

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