Toxins in school supplies

Group warns of toxins in school supplies

By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:33:00 05/17/2009

Filed Under: Children, Consumer Issues, Education, Health, Environmental Issues

MANILA, Philippines -- With classes resuming on June 1, an environmentalist group is urging parents and teachers to find alternatives to school supplies made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), saying this material contains a toxic substance that could be affect children’s health.

EcoWaste Coalition, a public interest group working on chemical safety in the environment, said PVC plastic, also known as vinyl or Plastic #3, has phthalates, a softening agent that has been found out to be poisonous.

“We are particularly uneasy with the obviously unregulated glut of school supplies that are made out of PVC plastic such as backpacks, binders, lunch boxes and clear plastic sheets [used] as book and notebook cover,’’ said Sonia Mendoza, chairperson of the Mother Earth Foundation, a member of EcoWaste Coalition.

‘’Consumers need to be watchful of these toxic buys,” Mendoza said in a statement Sunday, warning that constant exposure to the chemical “can get in the way of a child’s mental and behavioral development."

For starters, the group said, teachers could encourage students to wrap their books and notebooks with Manila paper, old calendars or magazines, instead of plastic sheets.

When shopping for school bags, parents can look for products that are made of cloth, nylon or polyester. Binders made of cardboard or fabrics, and lunch kits made of unlined stainless steel or opaque plastic are also among the safer options, it added.

EcoWaste noted that the United States and the European Union had banned the use of phthalates in children’s toys and articles.

In the Philippines, Senator Lito Lapid has filed a bill banning phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products, while Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and her son, Alliance for Rural Concerns partylist Representative Narciso Santiago III have pending bills promoting phthalate-free toys, it added.

The coalition also referred consumers to the “Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies,” published by United States-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), for ‘’smarter and healthier shopping choices.”

The group added that the disposal of PVC products, which are non-biodegradable and discharge dioxins, was in itself ‘’a complicated problem” in the country.

“Given the known health and environmental risks, we urge consumers to be on the side of caution and go for safer, healthy and ecological alternatives to PVC school products,” it said.

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