Issues > September/October 2002 (#92) > Shoe (and Toy) Co.s Eschew PVCs!

Shoe (and Toy) Co.s Eschew PVCs!

by Carmela M. Federico

A growing chorus of companies are saying no to PVC (polyvinyl chloride, or vinyl), a hazardous plastic commonly used in shoes, toys, and packaging. Government policies, consumer pressure, activist campaigns and sheer prudence are persuading more and more manufacturers to phase out PVC from the products they make.

The Green Guide considers PVC to be the most troublesome and harmful plastic; serious damage to human health and the environment occurs throughout PVC's life cycle. (See "Problem Plastics" (Green Guide 88-89) and "The Environment and Your Child: How to Keep Toxins Away" (Green Guide 82-83) for some of the many reasons why PVC's, and the phthalates that often accompany them, are bad news).

On the corporate front, there is good news, and good riddance to these unneeded chemical perils. Many companies that manufacture shoes and toys are working to phase out PVC's from their products; other companies -- such as Volvo, GM, Saab, Braun, Ikea, and The Body Shop -- also have PVC phaseouts underway. Britain has banned all soft PVC toys, and a European Union report recommends that all EU countries do the same.

Here are some toy and athletic shoe companies that are just doin' it -- letting us all live free of PVC's:

Athletic Shoe Companies

Company PVC Policy
Adidas PVC-free except for high-performance sports equipment
Asics PVC-free
Nike PVC-phaseout began in Aug., 2001. Labels PVC-free products
Puma PVC-free in almost all products by 2003.

Toy Companies

Company PVC Policy
Brio PVC-free
Chicco PVC-free toys for children under 3.
Early Start PVC-free
Gerber PVC-free
Lamaze Infant Development PVC-free toys for children under 3.
LEGO PVC-free
Little Tykes PVC-free
Primetime Playthings PVC-free
Sassy PVC-free except for two photo albums (they are considering substituting cloth for these items)
Tiny Love PVC-free, with exception of small bubble in center of Discovery Lane

Your favorite shoe company not on the list? Let shoe manufacturers know you want PVC-free shoes! Write to shoe company executives, courtesy of Greenpeace.

Resources and References

"2000 Report Card for Toy Manufacturers and Retailers," Greenpeace USA, www.greenpeaceusa.org/features/reportcard2000.htm.

"The Environment and Your Child: How to Keep Toxins Away," Mindy Pennybacker, Green Guide 82-83.

"The Greenpeace 2001 Athletic Shoe Holiday Shopping Guide," Greenpeace USA, www.greenpeaceusa.org/features/shoe_reportcardtext.htm.

"Problem Plastics," Pamela Lundquist, Green Guide 88-89.

"PVC Phaseout," Alliance for a Clean Environment, www.acereport.org/pvc1.html.

"PVC Toys Banned Over Health Fears," BBC News, Nov. 11th 1999, news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/515497.stm.

Filed under: Shoes, PVCs, Toys and gifts

For Your Community | posted August 31, 2002