WANT TO KNOW THE REAL HORRORS OF PVC
August 1st, 2007 by admin
So with all good intentions, my husband and I go out and buy our son a toy he’d shown interest in. Just the other day, I read an article in the National Geographic describing the horrors of PVC (polyvinylchloride) - a vinyl.
It sounds like a simple acronym, but it apparently contains harmful metals and an additive called cadmium. PVC is used for countless products in part or in whole. Such items like shower curtains or children’s toys, product packaging to piping, bags, car parts and tiles and on and on.
If incinerated it will release carcinogenic dioxin and other contaminants. Out of 16 billion pounds (yes, billions) of PVC produced in the US alone in 2004, only…
1% has been recycled. It is very difficult to recycle for many reasons. One good example is it takes many thousands of pounds to even bother with it, which would take an incredible amount of shower curtains in mass. Too, it is considered a low grade plastic. It only takes one PVC bottle to contaminate a recycling load of 100,000 recyclable bottles.
The latest study on the effects of landfilling PVC was in 1999. One institute (Allen Blakey of the Vinyl Institute) notes its harmless to landfill PVC citing this study, while another (Anne Rabe of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice [CHEJ]) disagrees.
It is now being suggested that we don’t buy PVC products. The easiest way to know is look for a “3″ or a “V” in the recycle symbol.
CHEJ also recommends consumers call or notify manufacturers that PVC is an unacceptabe toxic material and that it should be replaced by other greener alternatives. IKEA now only sells Non-PVC shower curtains. Victoria’s Secret and Microsoft will no longer use it in their packaging. Talks with Target and Sears sound promising and lastly, WalMart has decided to abolish the use of it in their private label packaging come year 2009.
Now what am I going to do with my child’s toys among all of my other PVC? It’s recommended to take them to the hazardous waste landfill only where it will be properly disposed of.
Peace.
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