Sears/Kmart joins anti-PVC push

By Staff -- Playthings, 12/12/2007 11:52:00 AM

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.—Sears Holdings Corp., parent company of both Sears and Kmart, today announced it will begin phasing out the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in both its private label and vendor-sourced packaging and merchandise.

The decision follows the adoption of a corporate policy aimed at identifying “more sustainable choices given the potential health and environmental risks tied to the manufacture, use and disposal of PVC,” Sears Holdings said.

Both Wal-Mart and Target have begun similar efforts to begin ridding their shelves of merchandise containing PVC or packaged in it. In May of this year, Wal-Mart said it was committed to supporting the development of an industry standard to eliminate PVC from all products intended for use by children. Target announced its push last month. Efforts at both retailers have so far focused on products such as lunchboxes and baby bibs.

Sears Holding’s new policy states that it will:

• identify safer, more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to PVC and incorporate them into the design and manufacturing process for private label merchandise and packaging;

• show preference for PVC-free materials that do not contain highly hazardous chemicals and set a long term goal of sourcing bio-based polymers that are sustainably sourced, have higher recycled content, and can be reused, recycled, or composted;

• show preference to incorporate the Society of the Plastics Industry labeling system on private label merchandise packaging to make it easier for consumers to incorporate packaging options into their purchase decision;

• show preference to mark private label merchandise as PVC-free when true;

• encourage vendors to reduce or eliminate their use of PVC in merchandise and packaging;

• encourage vendors to utilize the Society of the Plastics Industry labeling system on packaging;

• encourage vendors to label their merchandise as PVC-free when true.

“Sears Holdings recognizes the importance of being a positive, contributing member of the communities in which we work and live. Part of that is tied to the company's commitment to environmental sustainability,” it said in a press release announcing the initiative.

Sears Holdings also currently has programs aimed at strengthening the company's paper policy; reducing energy consumption at its stores, recycling at its facilities and helping its customers reduce their own carbon footprints.

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