Think the products you find on store shelves are safe? Think again. There’s lead in plastic tablecloths. Bromine in Christmas lights. PVC in yellow duckies. Phthalates in bathtub appliqués. And that’s just a small subset of the products recently tested from discount retailers across the country. Red flags came up for dolls, kid backpacks, pencil cases, toy cars, kids jewelry, rug pads, and dozens of other household items.
A Broken System
When it comes to protecting our families from toxic chemicals, we are dealing with a broken system. There are thousands of untested synthetic chemicals on the market, all shepherded into production by an outdated law – unchanged since its passage in 1976 – that prioritizes the profits of the chemical industry over the health of our children.
We’re working to change that law, along with hundreds of other organizations. But the wheels of policy change grind slow – whereas retail demand can grease the tracks.
That’s why Moms Clean Air Force has joined the Campaign for Healthier Solutions to demand dollar stores refuse to stock toxic products on their shelves.
Why dollar stores?
If you think there’s a Walmart on every corner, just consider the dollar store. The top three dollar store chains – Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar – together operate almost 24,000 stores in the US, compared to about 4,000 Walmarts. Their combined annual sales total $36 billion. They are expanding faster than other retailers, and adding food and alcohol to their offerings.
In many communities, from rural towns to urban neighborhoods, dollar stores are the only convenient retail option – and often they stand in for a regular grocery store, too. They serve primarily low-income communities, many of which already bear a greater burden of environmental pollution and health problems such as asthma compared to higher income communities.
What Is In Dollar Store Products?
The Campaign for Healthier Solutions tested more than one hundred dollar store products for the presence of toxic chemicals. Researchers tested toys, jewelry and other household products sold at dollar stores in six states (California, Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia).
The tests, conducted by Healthy Stuff and released earlier this month, found:
- 81% of the products tested contained one or more hazardous chemicals above levels of concern. Chemicals detected included phthalates; polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl); and toxic metals such as lead and chromium, bromine, and antimony.
- 32% of vinyl products tested (12 of 38) contained levels of phthalates above the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for children’s products.
- 38% of the products tested (63 of 164) contained the toxic plastic PVC (vinyl).
Why Does It Matter?
These products may harm children. They contain chemicals associated with some of the most intractable chronic diseases of our nation, and some of the most troubling health problems of low-income communities.
- Phthalates are linked to early puberty in girls, birth defects in the male reproductive system, obesity, and diabetes.
- Lead harms brain development, leading to learning disabilities, lower IQ, and behavioral problems. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children.
- PVC dust has been linked to asthma.
No one should have to be exposed to these harmful chemicals; least of all children in low-income families. But because our laws are weak, chemicals in our products are unlabeled and untested. It’s time retailers take responsibility for the products they are selling.
How Can Retailers Make a Difference?
Many companies have decided to take responsibility for the health and safety of the products they sell. Target and Walmart have both announced plans to phase out toxic chemicals from their stores. Other companies are eliminating harmful flame retardant chemicals from their furniture. It can be done. Especially when moms demand it.
Join us to demand that dollar stores take toxic chemicals off their shelves.
Photo: Tupungato / Shutterstock.com