Radio Flyer is Measuring to Manage Safer Materials
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"Determining the footprint for the first time involved an increased level of effort for Radio Flyer, with demands to know more about the supply chain, chemicals used to make product parts, and if the materials are chemicals of concern.”
Radio Flyer’s goal is to create outstanding, safe kids’ products and warm memories that last a lifetime. A major part of that goal involves knowing the chemical makeup of our products so that we can guarantee to our consumers that their children are playing with a safe and responsibly-made product.
Radio Flyer sought external subject matter assistance from consulting firm Pure Strategies as it began to enhance its requirements and engagement with suppliers on chemicals. We created and implemented a restricted substances list (RSL) to limit and ban specific chemicals of concern (e.g., PVC) in both the finished product and in manufacturing (to protect workers). In addition to complying with the Radio Flyer Restricted Substances List (RSL), we also request that suppliers share the CAS #, chemical name, and weight composition of each chemical intentionally added in their product part.
Radio Flyer’s internal culture is underpinned by tracking progress against quantifiable goals. To benchmark our program and assess potential areas for improvement, we completed the CFP Survey every year since 2015, the first year the Survey was available. We believe we get better at what we measure.
When reviewing improvement opportunities from the CFP Survey, quantifying the company’s footprint rose to the top. The idea of measuring chemicals of concern resonated with the company’s approach and provided a common and easily understood metric to track progress in chemicals management. We calculated our first chemical footprint in 2017. Determining the footprint for the first time involved an increased level of effort for Radio Flyer, with demands to know more about the supply chain, chemicals used to make product parts, and if the materials are chemicals of concern. To get started, we aligned with CFP’s definition of a chemical of high concern (CoHC) and selected key products in our portfolio that represented over 80% of the sales volume across the main product lines. The scope was all intentionally added materials in products and impurities of concern, but not processes and packaging.
The footprinting effort has helped us reach new levels of achievement across our broad chemicals management program. We found that it facilitated: 1) greater transparency, knowing what is in our products and supply chains, in order to improve materials; and 2) stronger accountability across the supply chain through a better understanding of inputs and processes (reaching across other company priorities, such as quality). It is particularly notable that Radio Flyer has already realized a number of benefits, transparency and accountability, from the footprinting effort. As our program evolves and moves to safer materials, we are sure to gain more value from the investment.
Eric Selner, Director of Operations & Sustainability