L Brands

Policy:Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy

13.75 out of 23.5 points

L Brands has a public safer chemicals policy that includes a beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) and a manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL) for apparel products. The company adopted Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemical’s MRSL and the Oeko-Tex 100 standard BRSL, which aim to eliminate 14 chemicals of concern in apparel. L Brands receives partial credit for a beyond restricted material list (BRML) that eliminates PVC, a plastic of environmental health concern (PEHC), in personal care product packaging. L Brands’ safer chemicals policy applies to all locations. L Brands has set a goal to have all “core suppliers use 100% MRSL-certified chemicals on L Brands products by 2022” and suppliers report on discharge of hazardous chemicals from manufacturing. The policy does not appear to apply, as specified in the criteria, to operations.

L Brands’ safer chemicals policy does not include elimination of chemicals of concern in Bath & Body Works, PINK or Victoria’s Secret formulated products, including beauty products of environmental justice concern. Statements on the company website try to justify the use of ingredients with known health concerns, including parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, and siloxanes.

Glossary of Terms

Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability

8.75 out of 15 points

L Brands includes its BRSL in sourcing agreements with suppliers; conducts an annual training on chemical management best practices; conducts in-person audits of suppliers’ chemical management and manufacturing practices; and requires regular testing of on-site water and waste streams and reporting of testing results to the company. Per L Brands: “We require our wet processing mills to test their wastewater annually by a nominated third-party lab.” In addition, in 2017, L Brands scaled up supplier use of CleanChain software as a critical chemical management tool.

Although the company does not conduct its own product testing, it receives partial credit (1.25) for assuring that non-Oeko-Tex certified products are tested in a third-party testing lab to prove compliance. Per L Brands: “Either the Oeko-Tex certificate or a passing RSL test report from an approved lab for each component must be provided to L Brands for review before a garment can be placed on the market.”

Glossary of Terms

Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer

5 out of 17.5 points

L Brands suppliers use CleanChain software for chemical management and reporting, including for reporting of chemical ingredients to the company. The company states they also require full chemical ingredient disclosure from suppliers for Victoria’s Secret Beauty, PINK, and Bath & Body Works personal care products.

Glossary of Terms

Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern (CHCs) or plastics of environmental health concern (PEHCs) within the last three years

15 out of 26 points

In 2020 L Brands’ website reported fewer apparel facilities were discharging MRSL chemicals exceeding the limit on the MRSL. Fabric mills discharging APs and APEOs went from one in 2017 to zero in 2019; laundry facilities discharging halogenated solvents were reduced from one in 2018 to zero in 2019; and discharges from printers of chlorophenols, heavy metals, and VOCs went from 1 or 2 to zero between 2018 and 2019.

L Brands has not demonstrated any action in the past three years to eliminate chemicals of concern in Bath & Body Works, PINK or Victoria’s Secret formulated products. Statements on the company website try to justify the use of ingredients with known health concerns, including parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, and siloxanes.

Glossary of Terms

Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes

2 out of 16 points

Although L Brands works with apparel suppliers to find compliant alternatives to MRSLs found in wastewater, it has no posted definition of safer alternative and it is unclear if the company ensures that replacement chemicals are safer.

Glossary of Terms

Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure

7.75 out of 20 points

L Brands’ BRSL, MRSL, and partial BMSL are publicly available. The company receives partial credit because formulated products are not included in the company’s safer chemicals policy.

For formulated products sold by Bath & Body Works, L Brands discloses product ingredients on the label and online, using generic terms. Victoria’s Secret and PINK product ingredients are on the label, but we were unable to access product ingredients online.

Glossary of Terms

Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third-party standards for safer products

5.25 out of 8.5 points

For apparel sold by PINK and Victoria’s Secret, L Brands requires Oeko-Tex 100 certification. Alternatively, smaller suppliers can ensure they meet the requirements through third-party testing. L Brands receives partial credit for Oeko-Tex certification.

Glossary of Terms