Campaign for Healthier Solutions

Blog: Campaign Pushes for Fresh, Local Food at Dollar General

June 12, 2019

On May 29, 2019, a delegation from the Campaign for Healthier Solutions’ non-toxic dollar stores project attended the annual Dollar General shareholder meeting in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. We were there to insist that Dollar General phase out toxic chemicals from its consumer products and source locally grown, fresh produce to better protect the health of their consumers, workers, and frontline communities. With more than 15,000 stores, Dollar General is the largest retail chain in the United States and more than 75 percent of people in this country live within five miles of a store. Read More

Release: Parents and Health Experts Praise Dollar Tree for Toxic Chemical Progress, Criticize Lack of Transparency and Junk Food 'Zones'

June 13, 2019

Chesapeake, VA — Today, customers and parents attended the annual shareholder meeting of Dollar Tree, Inc. and urged executives to tell the public what progress they are making toward their commitment to remove 17 highly-hazardous chemicals from products it sells. They also asked executives to move toward selling fresh fruit and vegetables in its 'snack zone' concept rather than just junk food. Dollar Tree executives did not announce new policies to protect customers, but said they are listening to shareholder concerns and trying to do the right thing. They also said they plan to issue another sustainability report before the end of this year which will summarize the company's progress on efforts to address toxic chemicals in products. Read More

Aviso: Padres de Familia y Expertos en Materia de la Salud Elogian a Dollar Tree por su Progreso en cuanto a Sustancias Químicas Toxicas, Critican la Falta de Transparencia y ‘Zonas’ de Comida Chatarra

June 13, 2019

Chesapeake, VA — Hoy, consumidores y padres de familia asistieron a la junta anual de accionistas de Dollar Tree, Inc. e instaron a ejecutivos a hacer público los avances que han logrado hacia su compromiso para eliminar 17 sustancias químicas altamente peligrosas de los productos que vende. También les solicitaron a los ejecutivos que tomen medidas para vender frutas y verduras frescas en sus ‘zonas de snack’ en lugar de pura comida chatarra. Los ejecutivos de Dollar Tree no anunciaron nuevas políticas para proteger a sus consumidores, pero indicaron que están escuchando las preocupaciones de los accionistas y tratando de hacer lo correcto. También dijeron que planean emitir un informe de sostenibilidad corporativo actualizado antes de que termine el año, lo cual incluirá los esfuerzos corporativos para abordar el tema de las sustancias químicas en los productos. Read More

News: Dollar stores moving to pull dangerous plastics from shelves

May 30, 2019

Dollar stores, those ubiquitous businesses that sell everything from bathroom cleaner to eggs, are starting to take action that begins to right what consumer advocates call a clear wrong: Many of the plastic products on their shelves contain chemicals that can have grave health effects for their customers. Read More

Release: Toxic Chemical Activists Pressure Dollar General Executives

May 29, 2019

Nashville, TN — The Campaign for Healthier Solutions, a coalition of health experts, parents, and concerned customers, attended Dollar General Corporation's annual shareholder meeting and urged the national discount retailer to take action to protect customers from toxic chemicals found in products, toys, and food sold by the chain. After purchasing shares to gain access to the meeting, these customers and experts shared their concerns directly with executives and some of the corporation's top shareholders and encouraged steps toward publicly accountable chemicals management policies as other retailers have already done. The campaign also held a brief meeting with the Dollar General executive team following the shareholder activities but no new actions toward customer health and safety were announced. Read More

Difusión: Padres de Familia y Expertos en Materia de la Salud Asisten a Junta Anual de Accionistas de Dollar General para Enfatizar Preocupaciones sobre Sustancias Químicas Toxicas en Productos

May 29, 2019

Nashville, TN — Una coalición de expertos en materia de la salud, padres de familia y consumidores consternados asistieron a la junta anual de accionistas de la Corporación de Dollar General e instaron a la cadena nacional de descuentos a tomar medidas para proteger a sus clientes de sustancias químicas toxicas halladas en productos, juguetes, y alimentos de venta por la cadena. Después de haber adquirido acciones de la empresa para poder tener acceso a la reunión, estos consumidores y expertos compartieron sus preocupaciones directamente con los ejecutivos y algunos de los accionistas más grandes de la empresa y los alentaron a tomar medidas hacia políticas de manejo de sustancias químicas con rendición de cuentas al público así como ya lo han hecho otras cadenas de tiendas. Activistas llevaron a cabo una breve reunión con el equipo ejecutivo de Dollar General que tuvo lugar después de las actividades de los accionistas, pero no se anunció ninguna acción hacia la salud y seguridad de los consumidores. Read More

Release: Dollar Tree Moves To Address Toxic Chemicals in Products

May 6, 2019

One of the nation's largest discount retail chains, Dollar Tree Stores Inc, has taken an important step toward increased health and safety for customers by joining the Chemical Footprint Project, a bench-marking metric that helps companies assess their market risk from toxic chemicals and understand the opportunities for safer chemicals in its supply chain. This decision may carry important implications for public health, consumer rights, and Dollar Tree's extensive supply chain, as the discount retailer is a Fortune 200 company which operates over 15,000 stores across the United States and Canada. Grassroots justice groups cheered this step toward quantifying toxic chemical risks—but also warned it falls short of a more complete, transparent and protective toxic chemical policy, which should include public disclosures and specific goals to reduce hazardous chemical use. Read More

Watch: Life at the Fenceline - Our Video Collaboration with NRDC and Rashida Jones

April 22, 2019

See our stunning new animated video collaboration with EJHA, NRDC and Rashida Jones: Life at the Fenceline. 

High-risk chemical facilities threaten the lives of nearly 40% of all US residents with catastrophic explosions or poison gas leaks — do you live in a potential chemical disaster zone? Read More

News: 99 Cents Only stores carry products with toxic chemicals, protesters say

April 18, 2019

Environmental activists are calling on the 99 Cent Only store chain to clear their shelves of products with toxic chemicals.

"Four years ago we walked 150,000 petition signatures in there from their customers who wanted toxics out of products and they haven't listened," said Jose Bravo, with the Campaign for Healthier Solutions.

The group told Eyewitness News they conducted testing on some of the chain's products and found chemicals linked to cancer and the disruption of hormone levels. Read More

Release: 99 Cents Only Executives Agree to Meet and Discuss Customer’s Concerns About Toxic Chemicals in Easter Products

April 17, 2019

Los Angeles, CA — As shoppers rush to dollar stores for last-minute Easter Holiday supplies, toys, and candy, allied organizations with the environmental justice group, Campaign for Healthier Solutions, held their own ‘Toxic Easter Egg Activity’ outside the headquarters of LA-based dollar store chain, 99 Cents Only Stores.  Children searched for products purchased from 99 Cents Only Stores that didn’t contain toxic chemicals—but had no way to know if each product was safe because the chain has no public toxic chemical policies or protections for customers and their children. Executives from 99 Cents Only Stores agreed to meet with the campaign and discuss customer's concerns but did not commit to any action to protect them from toxic chemicals. Read More

Ejecutivos de 99 Cents Only Acuerdan una Reunión para Dialogar Sobre las Preocupaciones de sus Clientes Sobre Sustancias Químicas Tóxicas en sus Productos de Pascua

April 16, 2019

Los Ángeles, CA — Mientras consumidores acuden a las tiendas de dólar para adquirir materiales, juguetes, y dulces, organizaciones aliadas con el grupo de justiciar ambiental, Campaña para Soluciones Saludables, llevó a cabo su propia ‘Búsqueda de Huevos de Pascua Tóxico’ en Los Ángeles afuera de la sede nacional de la cadena de tiendas de dólar, 99 Cents Only.  Niños buscaron entre los productos adquiridos de tiendas de 99 Cents Only con el fin de encontrar aquellos que no incluían sustancias químicas toxicas – pero no tenían manera de saber si los productos eran seguros ya que la cadena no tiene una política disponible al público sobre las sustancias químicas, ni ofrece protecciones para sus consumidores y sus hijos.  Ejecutivos de las tiendas de 99 Cents Only acordaron reunirse con la campaña para dialogar sobre las preocupaciones de sus consumidores sobre sustancias químicas toxicas pero no se comprometieron a ninguna acción. Read More

Press Release: Dollar Store Chains Lag on Toxic Chemicals, while 21 Retailers Make Progress to Protect Consumers

November 14, 2018

Los Angeles, CA — A report released today reveals that major retail companies are making slow but meaningful progress at improving the chemical safety of the products, food, and packaging they sell, but nearly half of those scored — including the 99 Cents Only discount retail chain — have failed to take any public measures to help eliminate toxic chemicals from the products they carry. The third annual Who’s Minding the Store? A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals evaluated and graded the chemical policies and practices of 40 of the largest North American retailers, including grocery and fast food chains, as part of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families’ Mind the Store campaign and the Campaign for Healthier Solutions. Read More