Engaging Retailers in the Adoption of Safer Products

This project group engages proactive retailers and other stakeholders in dialog about the challenges and solutions to managing chemical ingredients in the products sold in the retail industry.  In 2011, the group helped the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production organize a meeting: Product Chemicals Management for Retailers, hosted by West Marine in Watsonville, CA, on May 3, 2011.  This business to business event brought together over 40 proactive retailers and other stakeholders engaged in dialog about the challenges and solutions to safer chemicals management in the products sold in retail.  Based on suggestions from this meeting and the Annual GC3 Roundtable, three projects were selected for the coming year.

A Business Case for Green Chemistry

A document will be created to make the business case for green chemistry in the retail sector.  The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production is drafting a 1-2 page document that makes the business case for green chemistry in the retail sector.  It is being developed to help "sell" green chemistry and safer products to leaders and others in retail operations and will provide a statement for the group about why the work of the GC3 and the retail project group in particular is important to the retail industry.

Retail Initiatives on Safer Products

An inventory of groups engaged around sustainability issues, including toxic issues, which are relevant to retailers will be established. The scope, goal, and projects of these groups will be collected to help retailers assess where the groups overlap and assess where new projects could be developed.  It will help retailers make informed decisions about which groups to become involved with and why, and will help the GC3 define its role in working with retailers.

The Inventory of Initiatives and Organizations has now been completed. It consists of a summary table and a document. If non-GC3 members would like access to the document, please contact Sarah Shields.

An Educational Program for Retailers

An educational program for retailers to make green chemistry relevant to more retailers and their supply chains will be developed.

 

For more information or to join the project group, contact Yve Torrie.

Upcoming call information, call notes, and working documents are available to
members in the GC3 Members Area.

Become a Member to gain access to the GC3 Members Area.