Chemicals Policy

Background

Chemicals used in consumer products are a priority for Target, our guests and our suppliers. Target has a strong track record of leadership in identifying, reducing and eliminating substances in our products, supply chain and operations that demonstrate a potential risk to our guests or team members. We’re determined to be an industry leader of this work and show how a proactive stance on chemicals is beneficial to people, planet and business. 

Target’s priority is to sell products with a positive impact on the lives of our guests and communities, and to ensure worker and guest safety throughout our value chain and operations. To continue our leadership and demonstrate our commitment, we have established a cohesive chemicals management framework across all our product categories and operations. We believe that this robust approach to managing chemicals will accelerate similar efforts across the industry. Together, we can further reduce the presence of unwanted chemicals in the homes and workplaces of millions of people, helping to enhance their health and well-being.

Policy

Target’s committed to driving transparency, proactive chemical management and innovation across all our owned and national brand consumer products and in operations. 

Transparency

Target strives for full visibility to chemicals contained in and used to make the products we sell and use in our operations. 

• We encourage supply chain partners¹ to disclose the ingredients and substances used within their products to consumers and we support those who are actively going above and beyond current transparency regulations.

• Target will approach transparency in the supply chain as an iterative process, continually adding more product categories and achieving increasing levels of transparency. 

Chemical management

Target collaborates with business partners to implement policies, practices and tools that facilitate the management of chemicals through the supply chain and across our operations. 

• Target utilizes hazard profiles to prioritize substances for restriction in products and processes, with an emphasis on the impact these substances could have on workers, guests and communities.
• Target utilizes Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs) and Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSLs) to minimize and, where possible, remove these prioritized chemicals from our products and processes.

Innovation

Target will actively pursue and promote new approaches to chemicals development and the commercialization of safer alternatives. 

• Target defines a safer alternative as less hazardous to humans or the environment than the existing chemical or chemical process. A safer alternative to a particular chemical may include a chemical substitute or a change in materials or design that eliminates the need for a chemical alternative. 
• Target contributes resources and expertise to initiatives working to develop safer alternatives for chemicals where no viable alternatives currently exist. 
• Target supports innovation that utilizes green chemistry principles in the development, design and manufacturing of consumer products.
• Target actively engages with NGOs, associations and industry partners to innovate and promote a consistent approach to greener chemistry.

Reporting progress

Target is monitoring progress against this policy through existing and to-be-launched tools and processes and will publicly share updates annually.

Browse Target’s reporting on sustainability and governance

1 Given our role as a retailer and that we source all materials used in our owned brand products from third-party suppliers, Target does not manufacture any chemicals.