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Whole Foods pulls sunscreens with ingredients targeted by Hawaii law

Nina Wu
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THE NEW YORK TIMES / JUNE 20111

Devin Bledsoe, of Memphis, Tenn., applied sunscreen to her brother, Mason, 15, on Siesta Key Public Beach in Sarasota, Fla. Whole Foods Market announced today that it is no longer selling sunscreens and body products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate at its U.S. stores to help protect marine environments, including coral reefs.

Whole Foods Market announced today that it is no longer selling sunscreens and body products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate at its U.S. stores to help protect marine environments, including coral reefs.

The announcement comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that the Texas-based retailer, which is now owned by Amazon, would also be eliminating single-use, plastic straws at its U.S. stores by July.

The two chemicals, commonly found in sunscreens, are the same ones targeted by a new Hawaii law that goes into effect in 2021.

Last July, Gov. David Ige signed a bill banning the sale and distribution of over-the-counter sunscreens containing the two chemicals, making Hawaii the first state in the nation to do so, despite opposition from retail and health representatives. In February, the Key West City Commission in Key West, Fla., passed a similar law.

“For about 30 years, Whole Foods Market has implemented stringent standards for all of the body care products we sell in our stores, and we currently ban more than 100 ingredients commonly found in beauty and personal care elsewhere,” said Jen Coccaro, executive leader of Body Care & Lifestyle for Whole Foods Market, in a news release.

Coccaro said that Whole Foods had already banned oxybenzone, also listed benzophenone-3, from products in early 2017, and “we’re proud to now also ban octinoxate … taking our already rigorous body care standards one step further.” Oxtinoxate is also listed as octyl methoxycinnamate.

Whole Foods Market has recruited Kauai pro surfer Alana Blanchard as a partner in making the landmark announcement. Whole Foods Market has one store on Maui and three stores on Oahu.

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