I read an article today on The Green Guide that I thought was important to share with all the parents out there, so I hope you all don't mind me posting about it.
Summer! The pace slows, relaxation begins and even parents get to act a little loosey goosey. But before moms and dads kick off their flip-flops, a reality check: There's plenty of seasonal gear that should be avoided, or at least carefully purchased (or borrowed or Freecycled), to ensure their kids' fun will be of the least-toxic variety.
It seems as though every accessory involved with beating the heat is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl): kiddie pools, water wings, slip-n-slides, even garden hoses. Avoiding this most poisonous of plastics is always a good idea, not just for health reasons (soft vinyl products are often made with hormone disrupting phthalates and may contain lead) but also for environmental reasons (producing vinyl releases hazardous chemicals that build up in the fatty tissue of fish and other animals).
21 Responses
1
Organic Baby Food
August 6th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Wow... i had no clue such plastics could be that dangerous! Thanks for the heads up!
2
notjustpretty
August 6th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I love your site! Great articles - especially enjoyed this one - PVC is one of my pet peeves....
have bookmarked so I can peruse more later! Best Wishes to you!
Elisa
PS: I added you to our blogroll at
http://notjustpretty.wordpress.com
3
Kim
August 7th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I didn't know this! Always great to learn something new.
4
Glyconutrients
August 7th, 2008 at 5:48 am
I am wondering that what we have other than PVC to use then? I think all that stuff is only available in PVC only so what to use then or we should leave that activities? I shall like to have some information on alternatives.
5
Jenna
August 7th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Wow -- I had no idea. Very interesting post!
6
Organic Blanket
August 7th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Stefanie
Thanks for sharing this. We just returned from Ocean City, NJ and I never realized the amount of vinyl on the beach until you pointed it out.
7
Stefanie
August 7th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Thank you for all the comments. I was surprised to learn exactly how dangerous pool toys can be, also. I knew PVC was dangerous, but was unaware that it was as dangerous as this article tells us.
Glyconutrients, the article I linked to gives you some alternatives, check it out.
8
Stefanie
August 7th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Oh, and thank you, Elisa, for adding the site to your blogroll!
9
Free Stuff Online
August 11th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Summer is the best time of the year and a lot of things you can buy may be bad for the environment.. thats why I love your site.. it helps me make wise decisions!
10
Stefanie
August 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Free Stuff Online said:
Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad the site helps.
11
wii fit
August 14th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Thanks for sharing hazardous toys and their material. Another thanks for sharing alternatives as well. I think there is nothing wrong to spend something extra for safety purposes.
12
Stefanie
August 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
wii fit, I agree, and that is why I shared this article.
13
Schuppen
August 24th, 2008 at 2:14 am
We always don't hesitate to spend extra for ourselves and I think we should avoid PVC material. May be new technologies are changing minds,I shall quote "Hybrid cars" here.
14
adhs
August 24th, 2008 at 5:16 am
It was very difficult to leave all those conventional stuff to adopt new age stuffs but internet makes it easy to make a right choice. Reviews about products can make our life far easy, safe and comfortable.
15
Stefanie
August 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
adhs, I use the internet to look up reviews for pretty much everything before I buy. It has saved me a lot of money and frustration.
16
Toys
September 17th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I have to agree, the internet makes all my choices so much easier and more informed. Last week was my nephew's 3rd birthday and, someone bought him this plastic row boat.
I took it home with me and went and bought him a replacement gift, much better!
17
Stefanie
September 19th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Toys, gotta love the internet
18
Bouncer
September 26th, 2008 at 1:39 am
I love going to the internet in finding toys for kids, your post is a big help. I didn't know that that pool toys can be dangerous. But I think it will always depends on how it is used. I am planning to buy a pool toy as a gift, but I will remind them that they will have to use it only indoors, so that it will not be subject to heat.
19
Stefanie
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Bouncer, good luck getting them to play with it only indoors
20
Paddy
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:06 am
Thanks for the information. I agree with your post. Plastics are dangerous not only for human beings but also it's affecting the environment.
21
Cuddly Kingdom
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Due to the quantity and different additives added to PVC and also due to its chlorine contain, the final disposal or recycling of PVC is a issue to be closely examined.