Walmart is not waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action. The world's largest retailer announced it is banning all products containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a compound used as a flame retardant that has been linked to a variety of health problems in lab animals, including brain development and reproduction.
A company spokesperson told The Washington Post that Walmart had decided to phase out products with PBDEs "several years ago," but had recently reminded suppliers it would begin testing for the chemicals in June.
"Wal-Mart has taken an important step toward protecting children and families from exposure to toxic chemicals," Steve Owens, assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, told the Post. "EPA has long had concerns about PBDEs."
The federal agency has labeled PBDEs as "chemicals of concern," but may be years away from taking action as the bureaucratic process for review plays out.
Some within the chemical industry are taking issue with Walmart's action.
Jody Manley, a spokesperson for the American Council on Science and Health, told The New York Times, "They've been at this for a while, trying to keep up with the green movement. Sam Walton is probably turning over in his grave."