Photo credit:
PVC: The Poison Plastic
Vinyl is nasty, nasty stuff. PVC has been called "the most toxic plastic." It's been linked to many types of cancer and creates plenty of environmental hazards, as well. Phthalates and other plasticizers in PVC have generated greater and greater concern in recent years, especially in soft PVC toys and products for children.
Like school supplies. Why would you send your kids back to school with a carcinogenic vinyl backpack full of environmentally destructive vinyl products? You wouldn't—if only you could tell which products contain the dreaded PVC. Enter the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ)'s new Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies. Lunchboxes, backpacks, binders ... The guide lists the most common back-to-school supplies made out of toxic PVC and suggests safer, PVC-free products in more than 20 product categories.
“Numerous studies have found that young children are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of chemicals released by PVC," said Mike Schade, CHEJ’s PVC Campaign Coordinator. "Last year, the government banned phthalates commonly used in PVC from children’s toys. These known hazardous chemicals were banned from our children’s toys but can still be found in school supplies marketed directly for young children. Parents can easily protect their children by shopping PVC-free. There are many safer PVC-free products available and even being sold alongside the toxic PVC items at your local retailer. Read the labels and give your child a healthy start to the new school year.”
Before you go download the new guide, take a look at these top three tips to avoid having any of the bad stuff sneak into your shopping cart.
- Avoid shiny plastic on backpacks and lunchboxes. The shiny parts often contain PVC and even lead.
- Choose cloth or metal lunchboxes. Many lunchboxes are made of PVC or coated with PVC on the inside. At the very least, look for a lead-free label.
- Select cardboard, fabric-covered or polypropylene binders. Most three-ring binders are made of PVC.
How to green your drinking water
Comments (1)Add a Comment
Inappropriate or promotional comments may be removed.
Thanks for the information. I didn't know that a lot of school supplies contain PVC. It is appalling that it linked to cancer and other diseases. It is a pity that todays economy doesn't take into account people. They try to lessen the expenditures and use even dangerous materials. Not long ago I read a book book by Arnold Toynbee A Study of History (found it at the rapidshare search engine http://rapidpedia.com ) . Analyzing different civilizations he came to the conclusion that health, education and strong army is the garantee of the future existance of the nation.