Healthy Home

50% of
illness linked
to indoor pollutants according
to EPA

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

Everyone should be able to clean without having to worry about the products they use.

That’s why we recognize EPA’s SaferChoice® program for household cleaning products that avoid chemicals of concern without sacrificing efficacy. We are also proud to recognize products certified by Cradle to Cradle and USDA Bio-Based. In 2018, we published a cleaning chemical policy banning nine chemicals of concern from household cleaning chemical products.

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300+ products to choose from

ORGANIC GARDENING

Our customers are growing more and more of their own fruits and vegetables.

That’s why we edit and evolve our gardening product assortment throughout the year to ensure we are offering those brands of fertilizers, controls and soils that customers trust most for their organic garden including Espoma, Kellogg, Dr. Earth, Nature’s Care and more. We have over 300+ products to choose from in our assortment. We recognize Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and National Organic Program (NOP) for organic product inputs, and USDA for edibles. And in 2018, we began offering non-GMO, organic edibles in all our U.S. and Canada stores.

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COMBATING LIGHT POLLUTION

Humans evolved to the rhythms of the natural light-dark cycle of day and night.

The spread of artificial lighting means most of us no longer experience truly dark nights. Meanwhile, research suggests that nighttime artificial light can negatively affect human health, increasing risks for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, breast cancer and more. Purchasing fully shielded light fixtures that minimize skyglow, glare and light trespass helps customers use light wisely. The Home Depot is furthering their commitment to strengthening the global dark sky movement by providing our customers with outdoor lighting options that help with the fight against light pollution. We are pleased to announce that fixtures certified by the International Dark Sky Association now qualify for the Eco Options program under Healthy Home.

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NATIVE PLANTS AND LOCAL PROGRAMS

Native plants require an amount of water that is natural and subsequently sustainable in their geographic and climate region.

We are proud to be the first big-box retailer that has partnered with PlantRight in California, a program that raises awareness about ways to keep invasive plant species from entering local ecosystems, and collaborates with the nursery industry to prevent the spread of these species.

Another California program we are proud to partner with is Our Water Our World (OWOW), a collaboration of regional and local water pollution prevention agencies in Northern California. Since 2003, we have worked with OWOW to promote less toxic pest management strategies and products that can help protect local waterways. Today, they are active in 60 of our San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento area stores, assisting customers and training associates on Integrated Pest Management practices.

In the other corner of the U.S., we partner with Maine Yardscaping. Yardscaping educates our customers and associates about healthy lawn care products and techniques that help minimize toxins and polluted runoff entering waterways that are key in Maine’s ecosystems and economy.

POLLINATORS

Without them, we no longer have food.

We are keenly sensitive to the global concern for pollinators and the need to protect them and provide environments where they can thrive. We have been actively engaged with the EPA on the topic of colony collapse disorder since 2012 and have helped the industry change the way it thinks about growing residential plants. In 2016, we launched Nature’s Nutrients, flowering plants grown without the use of neonicotinoids that attract pollinators and provide foraging opportunities.
That same year, we set a goal to have live goods that are neonicotinoid-free by 2019. Our local growers have risen to the challenge, and we are now approximately 98% neonicotinoid free across our supply chain. Although the science is still unclear around neonicotinoid exposure from residential plants to the honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder, we continue the pursuit of this goal. The challenge to achieve 100% has been in nuances like new supplier onboarding, pest infestation, citrus regulations, and 3-year plus growing cycles.
Certain states’ regulations in trees and shrubs treatment may prevent the complete elimination of this pesticide. We continue our quest of 100% elimination of neonics in all other outdoor flowering color plants like perennials, annuals, tropicals, florals etc. We expect to reach our goal on the non-regulated outdoor flowering plants by October 2019. We will continue to label the shrinking group (less than 2%) of plants that were exposed to neonicitinoids. Congratulations to our live goods merchants and growers for their success in facilitating this change.

RECYCLED CONTENT

Many of our suppliers are working hard to solve waste in their own operations and in the global economy.

By utilizing recycled content like plastics, metal, wood, glass and more in products, they are helping extend material life and supporting a circular economy. Many of the most environmentally innovative products we see in home improvement include recycled content. To qualify for Eco Options Recycled Content category a product must be comprised of at least 60% post-consumer recycled content and ideally carry a third party certification.

HUMANE PEST CONTROL

Rodents, snakes and insects often find their way indoors in the colder months.

And while we can’t blame them for seeking warmth, they can be destructive, causing damage to the home and even posing unsanitary conditions. Sealing gaps and cracks around the home’s envelope not only helps block critters from entering, but also helps save on energy utility bills by reducing air leaks. Adding caulking or spray foam around windows and doors, pipe entry points and gaps in foundations, as well as replacing old weather stripping around windows and door sweeps around exterior doors can go a long way in helping avoid pest infestation. Great Stuff Pestblock Insulating Foam Sealant blocks potential chew-through without using pesticides.