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High street league table shows cosmetic chemical risks

13 March 2002

[1] Friends of the Earth's cosmetics retailers and manufacturers risky chemicals league table.

Retailers Asda, Kwik Save, Morrisons and manufacturers, L'Oreal, Cussons, Avon and Gillette did not respond to our survey. Somerfield and Procter and Gamble replied, but did not answer our questions.

Rank

Company

% Score

1

Body Shop

76

2

Marks & Spencer

74

3

CWS*

72

4

Debenhams*

61

5

Sainsbury's*

50

6

Boots*

42

7

Iceland*

39

8

Safeway*

38

9

Superdrug*

30

10

Waitrose*

28

11

Lever Faberge

24

12

Tesco*

14


* Although these retailers sell a number of brands, these scores relate largely or entirely to their own brand products. Scores are worked out as a percentage of the total possible score for all the question sections that are relevant to each company, to allow comparison. See [4] for full explanation of scoring.

[2] The chemical groups relevant to these companies are: artificial musks, triclosan bisphenol A,phthalates and alkylphenols. See [4] pg 9 for more information on the chemicals.

[3] Friends of the Earth surveyed over 50 high street retailers and manufacturers of household products. Companies were scored on whether they said that the target chemicals are in the products they sell, if they are seeking alternatives, whether they plan to phase them out and by when and whether they would inform customers which products contain them as well as on their internal policy regarding risky chemicals.

Please note: We have made every effort to score fairly based on the companies'responses, and to ensure that companies are compared to one another in as fair a way as possible. Due to the complexity of the survey and the variable quality of information received from companies, small discrepancies may exist.

[4] The full report 'Survey of high street retailers and risky chemicals', and the questionnaire, are available on our website:
www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/safer_chemicals/resource/retailers.html

For more information on chemicals see Friends of the Earth's media briefing: 'Chemicals and health'and 'The political battle for proper regulation':
www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/safer_chemicals/resource/media.html

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust

 

 

Last modified: Jun 2008