Cross toxic PVC off your back-to-school list

As parents are getting ready to send the kids back to school, there will undoubtedly be those back-to-school trips to the store. There will be backpacks, notebooks, lunch boxes and pencil cases galore. This video from KARE 11 news gives some quick tips to find products made without PVC plastic, which can contain harmful additives like phthalates, lead and cadmium. What's even better? PVC-free alternatives often cost the same as their PVC-filled counterparts.

Get the handy guide for finding PVC-free products here!

Gifts come with a toxic surprise: What’s a mom to do?

By Madeline Kastler, mom of two

Gifts and hand-me-downs. We rely on these as our primary sources of toys and kids’ clothes in our  house for my five-year old daughter and two-year old son.

A relative recently gave my daughter a doll as a gift, which she immediately fell in love with. The trouble is, it stunk of perfume and made my eyes water. I knew that absolutely COULD NOT be good. Balancing what I know of toxic chemicals in children’s products and our appreciation for the generosity of our friends and family is a tough one. What could I do?

Take the doll away? (Probability for tears and hurt feelings? Extremely high).
Provide a restrictive list of ‘mom-approved’ toys to each friend and family member? (Not unless I want to be like this lady!).

Buy all of my own unpainted wooden toys, organic cotton clothes, and chemical-free sheets? (Ha!).

I do my best to be frugal, keep my kids happy and protect them from harm. But it’s not that easy—especially when toxic chemicals are lurking in places I never expected: toys, backpacks and shampoo. And did I mention that everything (everything) goes into my two-year old son’s mouth?

I am a mother. I am also a wife, daughter, sister, employee, community member, neighbor and homeowner. I don’t have time to research and control all of the toys, clothes and art supplies that my children come in contact with. Nor should I have to! Time with my kids is precious and I want to focus on them during that time, not their stuff.

The problem of toxic chemicals in children’s products is one that needs to be solved. It’s so big (there are over 80,000 chemicals in commerce today) and the current law so inadequate (the EPA has only required safety testing on 200 of these chemicals, and has only banned five). It’s clear we need a comprehensive solution.

Minnesota has been a leader in changing policies to protect children’s health, by being the first state to ban Bisphenol A (BPA) and also take steps to assess chemicals in a different way (as in: for their safety) by passing the Toxic Free Kids Act.

Now it’s time for the federal government to follow suit and pass real reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This law was passed in 1976, a long 35 years ago.

That’s why I’m relieved that both of Minnesota’s senators (Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken) have signed on to the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S. 847), which will take some really important steps to help keep kids safe. The bill will:

•    Require action on the worst chemicals first
•    Require basic safety data for all chemicals
•    Protect all people, especially vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women and workers

Please join me in thanking Senators Klobuchar and Franken for being heroes and co-sponsoring the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011.

Go PVC-free this Back to School Season!

You’ve gotten rid of BPA from baby bottles and out of water bottles, but did you know another unnecessary toxic plastic may be hiding in your children’s school supplies? 

Your child’s innocent-looking lunch box or binder could contain chemicals linked to learning disabilities, obesity, and asthma. That’s because many school supplies are manufactured using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the most hazardous plastic for our health and environment.

This plastic can contain a toxic stew of phthalates, lead, cadmium, and organotins—making it a recipe for disaster. As a result, some of these chemicals, like phthalates, are building up in our bodies.  To the developing body of a child, even a small exposure to these toxic chemicals can be dangerous.  A new 2011 study found PVC is the most widely used hazardous plastic in the world. This toxic plastic is being used in more forms than ever for your kids, from lunchboxes to 3-ring binders. From its manufacture to disposal, PVC releases hazardous chemicals like dioxins and phthalates that are harmful to your children’s health.

The good news is there are safer and cost-effective alternatives. The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has just released their fourth-annual 2011 Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.

The guide features a listing of the most common school supplies made out of PVC and safer PVC-free alternatives in over 35 product categories, from laptops and lunchboxes to backpacks and 3- ring binders. Parents around the country will find this useful for safer, healthier alternatives to PVC for their children.

Buying a PVC-free product also means that you are exerting your consumer buying-power in the right direction, towards companies that manufacture products safer for our kids’ health.

Find Safer Products for Your Kids. Download the new Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.

Download the guide here.
Download the wallet-sized version here.

State victories on toxics in 2011

This entry was originally posted on the Safer States Blog.  

As legislative sessions around the country wrap up it's a good time to take stock of the landscape. Even in the wake of federal struggles, economic concerns and industry backed opposition, states continue to take on and pass toxic laws and policies.

So far in 2011, nine new toxic chemical policies have been passed in seven states, adding to a total of over 80 chemical safety laws passed in the last nine years by an overwhelming margin with broad bipartisan support (see the Healthy States report for more details on bipartisan support for toxics reform). In 2011, 99% of Democrats and 86% of Republicans supported these policies. In addition to bills passed, protections also increased through administrative action and rule implementation. In total, 10 states in 2011 have made changes in favor of a healthier, less toxic environment for families and future generations.

Some firsts:

1. Connecticut became the first state in the nation to ban bisphenol-A (BPA) from thermal receipt paper.
2. Washington became the first state to require manufacturers of children's products to report what toxic chemicals are present in their products.
3. New York was the first state in the nation to ban products for children containing the toxic tris flame retardant linked to cancer.

On the federal landscape this year, Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S.847), which would overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—the outdated law that oversees toxic chemical use in the United States. Environmental advocates and sympathetic legislators have been working hard to pass legislation making TSCA current. TSCA was originally enacted during the Ford administration and has never been updated. The Safe Chemicals Act would reform TSCA, which has proven ineffective in identifying and reducing the use of toxic chemicals. The proposed bill was introduced into the U.S. Senate in April, and has to date not made any progress.

Meanwhile, states are shouldering the load and protecting their residents from toxic chemicals to the best of their ability. In addition to the "firsts" listed above, in 2011:

1. California and Illinois passed resolutions urging Congress to update TSCA.
2. Delaware, Maryland and Maine passed laws against BPA. Additionally, the Massachusetts Public Health Council approved a ban on BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups through an administrative action.
3. Massachusetts declared formaldehyde and hexavalent chromium to be high risk chemicals.
4. Maryland banned cadmium in jewelry for children.
5. Minnesota published a list of nine Priority Chemicals of High Concern that are found in the body, setting the stage for the phase-out of these chemicals.

State laws continue to pass, despite industry opposition

Nearly every time a proposed toxic chemical law is being discussed in statehouses across the country, representatives from some of the nation's largest industries show up to fight. State advocates report seeing representatives from the Toy Industry Association, the American Chemistry Council, the Grocery Manufacturers' Association and other similar organizations at their hearings. These organizations put their bottom line above public health and attempt to use economic scare tactics, distort legislation and marginalize overwhelming scientific evidence against toxic chemicals to convince legislators to vote ¬¬against protective laws.

It's hard to know exactly how much money industry is spending to fight these laws, but reports show that they are willing to spend big bucks to protect their interests – Environment & Energy Daily reports that players in the chemical industry spent $4 million in lobbying money—just in the first quarter of 2011 and just on federal laws.

In February, we talked in detail about the specific tactics industry employs against state legislation.

Legislators on both sides of the aisle time and time again stepped up to pass laws despite industry efforts.

This year, industry tactics played out in Maine in dramatic fashion. While Maine passed a "Kids Safe Products Act" in 2008, Governor Paul LePage, a newly-elected, Tea Party-backed Republican, set about to repeal the law and question whether BPA needed to be banned. It was uncovered that out-of-state lobbyists and large trade groups had the ear of the Governor and were advising him to repeal the law. A four-month back-and-forth about banning BPA ended when the Maine House voted by a 145-3 margin to phase out BPA, overriding Governor LePage's veto.

"The legislative victories in 2011 have shown that, at the end of the day, most legislators prioritize the health of their constituents over industry interests. Until the federal government steps in and passes and enforces strong toxic chemical legislation, the states are going to continue to fight for the health and welfare of their residents. We have a lot of work yet to do, but the 80 laws passed in the past 9 years are a very encouraging start."

- Sarah Doll, National Director for Safer States

Can Green Chemistry Create Jobs?

Green chemistry can protect our health and stimulate our economy .

About 4.2 million jobs in the U.S. are directly or indirectly linked to chemical production. While industrial chemicals are an important part of our economy, over reliance on petrochemicals creates pollution, waste and adverse effects on public health. A growing sector of the chemical industry is using greener chemistry to reduce these risks, while making quality, effective products.

A recent report by the Blue Green Alliance and the Political Economy Research Institute highlights the promise of green chemistry for creating jobs while protecting health and the environment. A small sector of the plastics industry, which currently largely depends on petrochemicals, is moving to bio-based feedstock.

The report estimates that if 20% of plastic production shifted from petrochemical-based to bio-based inputs, 104,000 additional jobs would be created in the U.S. This shift will also increase the global competitiveness of the U.S. and help meet worldwide consumer demand for safer products.

Another recent report by the Brookings Institution, “Sizing the Green Economy,” notes that “cleantech” jobs have led the nation in job gains during the recession. The biggest shares of green jobs are in manufacturing, including green chemical products, and export, which includes biofuels and green chemicals. Minnesota’s estimated share of green jobs in 2010 was 37,750 of 2.7 million jobs across the U.S.

The Blue Green Alliance report notes that reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to strengthen regulation of chemicals will put the U.S. on par with Europe and other countries which have taken steps to control industrial chemicals. TSCA currently does not require companies to demonstrate the safety of the chemicals used in consumer products, so companies keep using the same chemicals, rather than using green chemistry to design new safer chemicals. A stronger TSCA will create incentives for innovation. The report notes “the shift towards alternative approaches to chemical manufacturing will reduce toxic releases, lower health risks, decrease reliance on non-renewable resources, and improve our quality of life without compromising economic performance.”

Minnesota businesses, NGOs and representatives from government and academia are working together through the Minnesota Green Chemistry Forum to position Minnesota to take advantage of opportunities in green chemistry. www.greenchemistrymn.org