Macy's Plans to Stop Selling Furniture with Toxic Chemicals, Says NGO

NEW YORK, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just hours before planned events at Macy's stores in ten states calling attention to the retailer's sale of some furniture products containing toxic flame retardant chemicals, the retailer announced it would end the practice. Mind the Store campaign advocates hailed it as a victory for consumers' health and the environment.

"We thank and congratulate Macy's for taking this big step to make all sofas safe. This is an important victory for our Mind the Store campaign and millions of Macy's customers nationwide," said Mike Schade. Mind the Store campaign director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. "We urge the remaining major retailers who have not acted, like Pier 1 Imports, to follow suit and phase out these unnecessary toxic chemicals once and for all."

Concerned parents and health advocates had asked Macy's to commit to adopting a policy eliminating the toxic chemicals in furniture by this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The groups had planned a national "day of action" today at Macy's Herald Square and other stores around the country. Over the past two weeks, Macy's had received thousands of e-mails from customers encouraging them to address the harmful chemicals. Macy's responded to Mind the Store yesterday, saying in part, "We expect that our suppliers (the manufacturers of furniture sold at Macy's) are no longer using the chemicals in question, and we believe a majority are already in compliance…We will be instructing any remaining suppliers who are using these chemicals to cease doing so…If we do identify a vendor that is still applying the old flame retardants, we will be requiring them to cease doing so immediately."

Numerous competing retailers like IKEA, Walmart, and Ashley have already announced that they are phasing out toxic flame retardants in furniture. Some chains like Pier 1 Imports, Rooms to Go, and Berkshire Hathaway's furniture stores have not yet made announcements.

The Mind the Store campaign is challenging major U.S. retailers to adopt policies to identify, restrict, and safely substitute the Hazardous 100+ chemicals in common consumer products.

The complete press release can be viewed here: http://saferchemicals.org/newsroom/macys-to-stop-selling-furniture-with-toxic-flame-retardant-chemicals/

SOURCE Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

Related Links

http://www.saferchemicals.org