TOWSON—While
Target shareholders attended the company’s annual meeting in Cleveland,
Ohio, today Maryland PIRG and concerned Maryland customers protested at
their local Target store, urging the company to phase out PVC products
and packaging. Two hundred similar protests happened across the country
as part of a national day of action urging Target to phase out the use
of toxic PVC.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride), commonly known as vinyl, contains poisonous
chemicals that off-gas into the air we breathe and can cause health
risks including cancer and birth defects. Despite these dangers, PVC is
used to make children’s toys, teething rings, shower curtains,
lunchboxes, shampoo bottles and home building materials. Today
activists delivered a petition with over 10,000 signatures to Target’s
CEO demanding that the company phase-out products made with or packaged
in PVC.
“The
production of products made with PVC poses serious public health
threats, requiring the use of cancer-causing chemicals such as vinyl
chloride,” said Johanna Neumann, policy advocate for Maryland PIRG. “We
hope that Target will do the right thing and phase-out PVC in favor of
healthier alternatives.”
A new report, Way Off Target: A Critical Assessment of Target’s PVC Products & Packaging,
details how Target lags behind other major retailers who have committed
to replacing PVC with safe alternatives. Wal-Mart and Apple announced
plans to phase out PVC in baby bibs, children’s products and computers
earlier this month. Nike, Microsoft, Ikea, H&M and Johnson &
Johnson have made similar announcements. More than 60 environmental
groups and 40,000 customers have signed petitions, sent letters, faxes
and made telephone calls to Target urging them to phase out PVC.
“Target
claims to be an environmentally-friendly retailer, and yet their
shelves are filled with products made from PVC, the poison plastic,”
said Lois Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health,
Environment & Justice. “We won’t stop until Target agrees to phase
out PVC and switches to healthier alternatives as other companies have
already done.”
Today’s Way Off Target
report focuses on three key areas in which Target sells many products
made of PVC: children’s products and toys, shower curtains and
packaging. Target customers may be exposed to highly toxic chemicals
from using these products in their homes.
Following is a summary of the report’s findings:
Toxic Toys – Infants and children chewing on PVC toys and baby products
may be exposed to phthalates. Phthalates are a class of chemicals
linked to premature birth delivery, early puberty in girls, impaired
sperm quality and sperm damage in men, genital defects and reduced
testosterone production in boys. Wal-Mart announced this month that
they will stop selling PVC baby bibs and is working toward an industry
standard to eliminate PVC from all products intended for use by
children. Wal-Mart has also phased out PVC lunchboxes. Ikea phased out
all PVC toys over 10 years ago.
Toxic Shower Curtains – In 2002 researchers at the US EPA reported a
PVC shower curtain “can cause elevated indoor air toxic
concentrations…for more than a month.” Target customers have repeatedly
complained on Target’s website about strong chemical odors being
released from the shower curtains they sell. Ikea stopped selling PVC
products including vinyl shower curtains over ten years ago.
Toxic Packaging – More than two billion pounds per year of short-lived
PVC products, such as packaging, are discarded with U.S. household
trash. In fact, nondurable products, such as packaging, account for
more than 70% of the PVC disposed of in U.S. municipal waste. In 2005,
Wal-Mart committed to eliminating all private label PVC packaging in
two years. PVC packaging has been banned in several countries including
Canada, Czech Republic, Spain and South Korea.
Toxic Life Cycle –The manufacturing and disposal of PVC are harmful,
releasing highly hazardous chemicals including dioxins and furans,
vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, lead, phthalates and mercury into
the environment. PVC manufacturing facilities have exposed workers and
fenceline neighbors to toxic carcinogens and caused major air
pollution, chemical spills and contaminated drinking water supplies.
“As
Target can see by today’s events, they will be held accountable for
knowingly selling products that are harmful to our health and
environment,” said Gibbs. “We hope they will do the right thing and
shift to products and packaging that are safer for our families and
future.”
