Subsidiaries of Office Depot
- Office Max
Key Findings
- Office Depot (which includes OfficeMax) has a written safer chemicals policy and a beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) that it intends to apply to both its private-label products and the branded products it sells. The retailer has in place procedures for collecting information on the formulation of products and for ensuring private-label products are compliant with its policies.
- The company updated its safer chemicals policy to include a commitment to expanding the number of chemicals included in its BRSL. While it provided us with some examples of its accomplishments, it has done little to publicly report on its chemical metrics.
Recommendations for Office Depot
- Office Depot can make progress by setting public quantifiable goals with clear timelines for reducing and eliminating chemicals of high concern (CHCs).
- We urge the company to eliminate plastics of environmental health concern from its product and packaging materials according to public quantifiable goals with clear timelines. Office Depot should publicly disclose the alternatives used to replace the CHCs or PEHCs after eliminating them.
- The company should follow through on its commitments to both becoming a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project and piloting it with key private label suppliers.
Grade History
How does Office Depot compare to its competitors?
Analysis of Office Depot
Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives
Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer
Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern (CHCs) or plastics of environmental health concern (PEHCs) within the last three years
Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes
Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure
Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third-party standards for safer products
Extra Credit:
Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement
Continuous Improvement: Shows continuous improvement by steadily expanding safer chemicals policy
Collaboration: Actively participates in collaborative process to promote safer chemicals
Impact Investment: Investing financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives and/or green chemistry solutions