Healthy Business Strategies - Clean Production Action

only in 55-gallon drums in factories or in
bottles in the cleaning cabinet at home.
Companies use chemicals in the manufacturing
process for almost every product and as
ingredients in the items themselves. yet we
know almost nothing about what chem-
icals are in everyday products and therefore
little about the hazards they may pose.
We do know that some widely used chemicals
last for decades, travel long distances
from their point of origin, concentrate as
they move up the food chain and can cause
serious health problems for humans and
animals. This is the outcome of the “toxic
chemical economy,” a market where chemical
manufacturers make highly hazardous chemicals,
product manufacturers add the chemicals
into their materials and products, and
workers, communities, consumers, mothers,
babies and the environment are exposed to
the chemicals. Studies documenting the presence
of these chemicals in human tissue,
umbilical cord blood, breast milk, food and
dust are a sign that companies must change
their product’s ingredients and governments
must revamp laws to responsibly regulate
the use of chemicals and catalyze the transition
to green chemistry. In fact, some
chemically conscious companies are already
doing this by phasing out hazardous chemicals
in everyday products such as furniture,
electronics, cosmetics, fabric and clothing.
The solution —
Healthy Business strategies
Six chemically conscious companies are profiled
in this report (see Table 1). We selected
these firms to represent large and small business
in different sectors of the economy to
show companies at different places on the
path towards chemical consciousness. None
of these companies have perfected the manufacture
and use of products made entirely
from green chemicals and some are further
along than others. Our case studies highlight
the initiatives of these companies to transform
the toxic chemical economy into a
healthy chemical economy — a market where
manufacturers make products entirely from
chemicals and materials that are safe and
healthy for humans and the environment.
All the companies highlighted here are aware
of the dangers posed by toxic chemicals and
are taking action to reduce their use. Although
their individual actions to address toxic chemicals
vary, their best practices, when gathered
together, define the terrain of healthy
chemical strategies:
• Identify all chemicals in their products.
• Eliminate toxic chemicals.
• Strive to manufacture and use only
healthy ingredients in their products.
• Design new products.
• Innovate — design new products and
develop novel partnerships.
• Work collaboratively with environmental
advocates.
• Take responsibility for products from
cradle-to-grave. Require data from suppliers
on chemicals and materials used
healthy business strategies for transforming the toxic chemical economy