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Center for Health, Environment & Justice | www.chej.org | August 2012 Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies eep the poison plastic Koff your back-to-school shopping list! The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has created this fifth-annual Back-to- School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to empower you to make smarter, healthier shopping choices for a toxic-free future. This guide lists the most common back-to-school supplies made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) plastic and sug- gests safer PVC-free alternatives for your children. Very important W hy Shop for PVC - Free School Supplies? will be on the test!!! Healthy schools free from toxic chemicals are critical Over 90% of all phthalates are used to soften vinyl to a child’s health and well-being. Most of the time products, and have been linked to asthma, learning spent during the years that children’s bodily and disabilities, diabetes, and other chronic health DID YOU KNOW? intellectual capacities are developing is spent inside problems on the rise. Congress has banned phthalates Testing commissioned school buildings. in children’s toys, yet they are widespread in these and other PVC back to school products. Children are at by CHEJ in 2012 Many children’s school supplies, such as lunchboxes, has uncovered risk from even very low-level exposures to these toxic backpacks and binders, are often made out of high levels of chemicals. That’s why it’s important to purchase PVC- phthalates in vinyl—an unnecessary toxic plastic that is dangerous free school supplies whenever possible. common back to to children’s health and the environment across its school products including lifecycle: from production, to use, to disposal. Cancer causing chemicals like vinyl chloride and backpacks, dioxin contaminate the air from the manufacture PVC/Vinyl is unique among most plastics because lunchboxes, and of PVC. When PVC is manufactured or burned, it contains dangerous chemical additives such as 3-ring binders. numerous dioxins are formed and released. Dioxins phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins, which are a highly toxic group of chemicals that can cause can be toxic to your children’s health. Brand new lab cancer, and harm the immune and reproductive tests commissioned by CHEJ and the Empire State systems. These and other toxic chemicals released Consumer Project in 2012 has uncovered high levels during the PVC lifecycle contaminate our children’s of phthalates in common back to school products bodies and may pose irreversible life-long health including backpacks, lunchboxes, and 3-ring binders. threats. These phthalates can leach out or evaporate into the air over time posing unnecessary dangers to children. Mentoring a Movement, Empowering People, Preventing Harm pg. 2 Center for Health, Environment & Justice | www.chej.org | August 2012 H ow to Identify PVC, the Poison Plastic The key to avoiding PVC products is recognizing them and knowing how to find safer alternatives. PVC products are often labeled with the Some products are not properly labeled, words “vinyl” on the packaging, such as vinyl making it tough to determine whether they 3-ring binders contain PVC. If you’re uncertain, e-mail or To identify PVC packaging, first look for call the 1-800 number of the manufacturer the universal recycling symbol. If it has the or retailer and ask what type of plastic their number “3” inside it, or the letters “V” or product is made of. You have a right to know. “PVC” underneath it, you know the product is made out of PVC. Just remember – bad news comes in #3’s, don’t buy PVC Where Does Your Child’s PVC Backpack and Lunchbox Come From? Mossville, Louisiana is a small African suffer from elevated rates of disease. The American community that’s the vinyl federal government found alarming results- manufacturing capital of America. The area community members had more than three is home to more PVC chemical plants than times the national average of dioxins in their anywhere else in the country. Communities blood, elevated dioxins in breast milk, and high like Mossville, LA, where PVC is manufactured, cancer mortality rates. A university study found is where the chemicals used to make PVC residents were two to three times more likely lunchboxes, backpacks and other school to suffer from health problems, including a supplies are created – exposing the community high incidence of ear, nose and throat illnesses, and workers to highly toxic chemicals. central nervous system disturbances, and DID YOU KNOW? In May 2010, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta aired an cardiovascular problems, as well as increased Toxic chemicals skin, digestive, immune and endocrine released by the hour-long special investigating the pollution PVC lifecycle problems in Mossville. A US EPA study in 1999 disorders. have been linked found levels of the cancer-causing chemical Next time you pick up that PVC binder to chronic vinyl chloride (one of the key chemicals or PVC school supply, think about diseases that are on the rise used to make PVC) in the air greater than communities such as Mossville, Louisiana such as asthma, 100 times the state air quality standard. As where these products are created. obesity, cancer a result of exposure to pollution, residents and learning and developmental disabilities. Quick Tips for Avoiding PVC School Supplies Here are some quick tips for avoiding PVC in (ABS) plastics (see the Other Toxic Plastics to Avoid common back-to-school products. They will help section on page 20). To be safe, choose non-plastic you embark down the road towards using safer products whenever possible. PVC-free school supplies. See the PVC-Free Products When choosing plastic items, be sure to not only and Suppliers section for a more detailed listing of avoid PVC but also avoid the three-arrow “recycling” companies that manufacture or sell PVC-free school symbol with the number 3 and/or the initials PVC; supplies. indicating it’s made with PVC. If no symbol is PVC isn’t the only plastic that poses a threat to your present, call the manufacturer’s question/comment children’s health; also avoid polycarbonate (PC), line (usually a toll-free 800 number) listed on the polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene package to find out what it’s made of. pg. 3 Center for Health, Environment & Justice | www.chej.org | August 2012 Quick Tips for Avoiding Art Supplies Food Wrap Avoid PVC in smocks by looking for fabric Studies have found chemicals can leach from ones. PVC food wrap into food. Use PVC-free Avoid modeling clays made of PVC (polymer butcher paper, waxed paper, parchment paper, clays such as Fimo and Sculpey). Polymer low density polyethylene (LDPE) or cellulose clays are often loaded with phthalates, which bags. are harmful to children’s health. Look for clays Ask the manager of your grocery store to stock made without PVC and phthalates, or make PVC-free food wrap for meats and cheeses in your own (recipes are available online such as the deli. at http://www.theholidayzone.com/recipes/ Lunchboxes dough.html). Avoid lunchboxes with a warning that says PVC School Supplies Backpacks something such as, “WARNING: This product Avoid backpacks with shiny plastic designs contains chemicals known to the State of as they often contain PVC and may contain California to cause cancer, and birth defects phthalates or lead. or other reproductive harm.” This means the Avoid backpacks with a warning that says product likely contains lead. something such as, “WARNING: This product Even without the warning, many vinyl contains chemicals known to the State of lunchboxes contain phthalates, and should be California to cause cancer, and birth defects avoided. or other reproductive harm.” This means the Use cloth lunch bags instead. Many lunch product likely contains lead. boxes are made of PVC, or coated with PVC on - cont. Clothing and Accessories the inside. Look for PVC-free materials in rainwear (i.e. Look for lunchboxes labeled as “PVC-free.” rain boots and raincoats), prints on clothing, Notebooks and accessories such as handbags, jewelry and Avoid notebooks containing metal spirals belts. encased in colored plastic. The colored plastic Studies have found vinyl raincoats are often coating on the metal spirals usually contains loaded with toxic phthalates. PVC. Select notebooks with uncovered metal In purchasing accessories like purses and spirals to avoid PVC. jewelry, look for fabrics and other materials Avoid notebooks with plastic coating, as this rather than plastics. Choices include jacquards, may contain PVC. velvets, crinkled crepes, satins, wood, metals, Organizers and address books pearls, rhinestones, etc. Choose organizers/ address books made with Electronics sustainably harvested wood, metal, or paper DID YOU KNOW? Toxic chemicals Avoid electronics manufacturers who have covers. Avoid those made of plastic – these released by the not committed to phasing out PVC and other sometimes contain PVC. PVC lifecycle have toxic chemicals in their production. For a list Packaging of School Supplies been found in the of companies that are going PVC-free, consult Avoid single-use disposable packaging bodies of babies, the latest edition of Greenpeace’s Greener children and whenever possible. Electronics Guide that can be found at http:// adults. In fact Avoid the three-arrow “recycling” symbol with phthalate levels www.greenpeace.org/international/en/ are highest in campaigns/toxics/electronics/ the number 3 and/or the initials PVC; indicating it’s made with PVC. If no symbol is present, children ages 6 to Buy electronics from companies who have 11 and women.. call the manufacturer’s question/comment line pledged to responsibly “take it back” at the end (usually a toll-free 800 number) listed on the of its useful life.

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