Plastics
Optional Resources
Online Resources
"Flack Attack; Industry P.R.
Guys Invent a 'Green Genocide Agenda'," Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, The
Progressive, October 1999 -- Small amounts of bisphenol A, a clear and rigid
plastic used in the manufacture of baby bottles made from polycarbonate, leach out of the
plastic and can end up in milk fed to babies.
"Use of Polyvinyl Chloride for Medical Products," Baxter Healthcare
Corporation, 13 April 1999 -- discussion by a major manufacturer of PVC IV bags
"Taiwan: Environmentalists Link Formosa Plastics to US Campaign Finance
Scandal," Sanford Lewis, Corporate Watch, 8 September 1999 -- Formosa Plastics is the
world's largest producer of polyvinyl chloride.
"Play Safe: Buy PVC Free Toys," Greenpeace, 1999 -- extensive information
about phthalates in soft PVC toys
"Battle Over Phthalates Heats Up," Lucy Chubb, Environmental News
Network, 28 September 1999
"Industry-Sponsored Group... Would Allow Questionable Chemical Back in U.S.
Toys," National Environmental Trust, 23 June 1999 -- "...the American Council on
Science and Health (ACSH), an organization that accepts 76 percent of its funding from
corporations including the largest makers of phthalates, ...would have children continue
to expose themselves to a potential danger while further tests are undertaken."
"EU Mulls Ban on Some Baby Toys on Health Concerns," Michael Mann,
Reuters News Service, 27 October 1999
"PR on the Witness Stand: Vinyl, Not the Whole Truth," Carissa Kowalski, PR
Watch (a Publication of the Center for Media & Democracy), Third Quarter 1998 (v.
5, n. 3)
"Chemical Industry Blames Toy Precautions on Scare Tactics: Don't be Taken In
by Industry Misinformation Campaign," National Environmental Trust -- "The
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently made a series of precautionary
announcements about the health risks associated with a chemical that softens the plastic
used in many toys and teethers. This chemical-- known as DINP phthalate-- has been linked
to cancer and organ damage. However, chemical manufacturers--i ncluding Exxon, the major
producer of the chemical-- have begun an aggressive misinformation campaign to convince
the public that these actions are in response to an unfounded 'scare' campaign by consumer
and environmental activitsts." Myths versus realities are examined here.
"Toxic Toys: New Tests Reveal Common Children's Toys & Teethers Contain
Organ Damaging Chemical," National Environmental Trust -- Presents the phthalate DINP
content in 33 soft plastic vinyl toys, with brand names and stores indicated.
"Environmental Justice Victory," Jeffrey St. Clair and Alexander
Cockburn, Eat the State!, 30 Septemner 1998 (v. 3, n. 4) -- "Shintech, the
Japanese chemical company, has thrown in the towel. Last week company officials announced
they had abandoned plans to build one of the world's largest polyvinyl chloride plants in
the small black hamlet of Convent, Louisiana. Shintech's plans for the site, which sits in
the heart of cancer alley, met with fierce local opposition."
"Living in Hell," Kazimuddin Ahmed, Down to Earth Magazine
(India), 15 February 1999 (v. 7, n. 18) -- concerns highly-polluting plastics factories,
northwest of Delhi
"Vinyl Chloride," ToxFAQs, U.S. Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, September 1997.
"Let's Stop Wasting Time," Peter Montague, Rachel's Environment & Health
Weekly #553, 3 July 1997.
"Toxic Deception, Part 2," Peter Montague, Rachel's Environment & Health
Weekly #554, 10 July 1997.
"The Poison Plastic," Fact Sheet, Greenpeace USA, September 1999
"Experimenting on Children," by Charlie Cray, Rachel's Environment &
Health Weekly #603, 18 June 1998 -- Toxic phthalates, used primarily as plasticizers
added to PVC to make it soft and elastic, readily leach out of PVC toys and other
products, endangering users.
"Toxic Toys R Us," by Monica Mehta, Mother Jones, 14 July 1998 -- The
Commerce Department helps U.S. companies crush a European ban on toxic baby toys.
Print Resources
"In the Name of Prudence,
Switch (from PVC)," Chemical & Engineering News, 15 March 1999, p.
41 -- Discusses dangers of using plastic intravenous (IV) bags that are made of polyvinyl
chloride, a hard plastic. When mixed with the plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
(DEHP), PVC becomes flexible and suitable for medical tubing and IV bags. "More than
80% of the IV bags used in the U.S. are PVC plastic manufactured mainly by Baxter
Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, IL, and Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL.
Thomas Detwyler maintains this page (tdetwyle@uwsp.edu)
Last updated 13 March 2001