Back To School Shopping The Smart Way; Avoid Supplies That Contain Toxins

With parents gearing up to start preparing for back to school shopping, it’s important to know that many seemingly harmless supplies can in fact contain hidden hazards that can be harmful to your child’s health.

An alarming seventy-five percent of children’s “back-to-school” supplies tested in a laboratory had elevated levels of toxic phthalates, according to a new report by Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ). In fact, toxic chemicals released by the PVC lifecycle have been linked to chronic diseases that are on the rise such as asthma, obesity, cancer and learning and developmental disabilities.

The products tested included Disney, Dora and Spiderman coats, backpacks, binders and lunchboxes among other items.

The report suggests avoiding these products most:

– Disney Lunchboxes (contained 29 times the federal limit of toxins)

– Spiderman Lunchboxes/Backpacks (contained 27 times the federal limit of toxins)

– Fridge Green 6 Can Cooler (contained 12 times the federal limit of toxins)

– Access Bag N Pack Lunch Bag (contained 15 times federal limit of toxins)

– Dora the Explorer Backpack (contained 69 times the federal limit of toxins)

– Smartfit Rainboots (contained 10 times the federal limit of toxins)

Don’t be disheartened, be aware and make smart shopping choices, there are safe products for your kids to use without risk. Just look over CHEJ’s list of PVC-Free supplies (PDF).