The Home Depot announced plans to phase out products containing methylene chloride, becoming the third major U.S. retailer to outlaw the paint stripper chemical this month.
Lowe’s and Sherwin-Williams both made similar pledges to ban the controversial chemical, which has been cited as the cause of death for three young men over the past year and a half.
Home Depot said it will also phase out products containing N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) by the end of 2018 as well.
“The time for hazardous paint strippers is over, and we urge the remaining retailers stocking these products to put their customers first and remove them from store shelves swiftly,” said Mike Schade, a campaign director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, an organization that, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council, has been leading the charge to have the chemicals pulled from store shelves.
With the campaign picking up speed, the organizations have now turned to Walmart, Menards and Ace Hardware to drop the chemicals, and continue to lobby the EPA to ban methylene chloride from consumer use.
Related:
Sherwin-Williams to Phase Out Paint Stripper Chemical
Lowe’s Will Phase Out Paint Strippers Containing Methylene Chloride
EPA to Take Action on Deadly Chemical Used in Paint Strippers
‘Week of Action’ Urges Lowe’s To Drop Deadly Paint Strippers