April 7, 1997 - The European Vinyls Corporation (EVC) and the chemical giant Solvay filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace Italy for $15 million USD for damages, claiming that Greenpeace had defamed them and caused unfair competition when Greenpeace sent letters to toy manufacturers urging them to eliminate PVC from their products.
April 18, 1997 - Toy Traders Council of Denmark advised members "All products made of PVC and vinyl intended for small children - and that can be expected to be sucked on and chewed - should be removed from the market, if there is uncertainty about the contents of the used phthalates."
April 18, 1997 - Danish supermarket chain Foetex removed all soft PVC toys from its shelves.
May 13, 1997 - FDB, Danish superstore chain, removed all PVC toys for children under 3 from its shops.
May 22, 1997 - The Danish superstore Bilka removed all soft PVC toys for children under 3 from its shops.
May 23, 1997 - The Italian toy company Chicco suspended the sales of three PVC teething rings in Spain "in the strict spirit of responsibility."
May 27, 1997 - BRIO Leksaker stated that it would no longer distribute certain Chicco teethers in Sweden.
May - June 1997 - Chicco withdrew the same teethers from the Italian, Portuguese and Greek markets. In November, Chicco would reissue the same teethers in Italy.
May 27, 1997 - The Swedish superstore chain KF announced that it stopped selling soft PVC toys intended for children under the age of three. Approximately 50 toys were removed from its toy assortment.
July 3, 1997 - The Dutch retail chain Blokker, which also owns Bart Smit Toys and Intertoys, informed Greenpeace Netherlands that "in all future orders we will state that toys intended for children under the age of three may not contain any PVC, and that the use of PVC packaging is not allowed." These retail chains represent 50% of the toy market in the Netherlands.
July 4, 1997 - The Dutch Toys R Us stated it would "make it fully clear to our suppliers that we are not in favor of the use of PVC in toys and packaging, that is stated as a condition of supply when orders are issued," in a letter to the Executive Director of Greenpeace Netherlands.
July 15, 1997 - Vendex (Vroom and Dreesman), a large Dutch retailer informed suppliers that all toys must be PVC-free.
July 30, 1997 - European baby retailer Prenatal removed 11 PVC toys from their shops.
July 31, 1997 - Chicco representatives in Argentina confirmed that they suspended the sale of three PVC teething rings that had already been withdrawn in Spain, Italy, Greece, Denmark and Sweden.
July 31, 1997 - Ravensburger stopped the import of several PVC SEGA products into the Netherlands.
August 1, 1997 - Tiamo (Chicco) stopped the delivery of four PVC products to the Netherlands.
August 6, 1997 - The largest Dutch retailer de Bijenkorf removed known PVC toys from their shelves.
August 12, 1997 - The Lego Group issued a statement stating that a phase out of PVC had begun at Lego in 1986, starting with packaging. The company's "general policy of not using PVC will be continued with a view to obtaining a 100% phase out within construction toys and packaging concurrently." Only two types of PVC products still exist at Lego, wires for electrical components and doll's heads for LEGO SCALA.
October 16, 1997 - Belgian Federation of Retailers (FEDIS) announced it would withdraw all soft PVC toys designed to be chewed by young children.
October 1997 - The toy retailer Imaginarium, with shops in Spain and Portugal, decided to stop selling PVC teethers and rattles.
October 29, 1997 - Toys R Us, Austria, withdrew from their shelves ten products made of soft PVC for children under 3, following a Greenpeace action at their Austrian headquarters. It also committed to identify and withdraw all soft PVC baby toys from their stores in Austria within two weeks. However, in November Greenpeace discovered that the toys that were agreed to be removed from the shelves had been put back out at the instruction of the US headquarters.
November 1997 - In the Czech Republic, 4 retailers removed soft PVC toys from their stores, in response to a Greenpeace request.
November 1997 - Italy - Chicco put back soft PVC toys previously removed from the shelves, defending their decision using the Italian National Health Institute labs data showing low level leaching of phthalates from toys.
November 1997 - Netherlands - Greenpeace received letters from Blokker, Bart Smit, Intertoys and Toys R Us saying they will continue to remove soft PVC toys from their shelves.
November 1997 - In the US a small retailer in Michigan, Generations, issued a statement about why they removed soft PVC teethers from their shops. "There is not yet a national recall on these products. However, we have decided to err on the side of caution and remove these products until we have more information that they are safe."
November, December 1997 - Over 20 retailers in Austria have stated that they have withdrawn soft PVC toys for small children. Some of the most well known include: DM and BIPA, both drugstore chains, Kastner & Ohler and Gerngross, both department store chains, Heinz and Trio, both toy retailers with several stores in Austria.
Other Austrian retailers have agreed to establish a concrete plan to withdraw certain soft PVC toys from their shops. These include: SPAR and INTERSPAR supermarkets and the Schlecker drugstore chain.
December 4, 1997 - A second injunction was filed by Solvay and EVC against Greenpeace Italy as a result of a report released internationally about chemical additives in soft PVC toys. The same claims and request for damages were submitted as in April 1997.
December 1997 - The US superstore Target agreed to remove two PVC products identified by Greenpeace as containing significant quantities of lead.
December 1997 - Well known Italian toy company Giochi Preziosi wrote to Greenpeace Italy stating that they will not include soft PVC toys for children under three in their catalogue for 1998 and that they will work on substitution for other applications of PVC. IKEA and Lego also joined the campaign against PVC in Italy.
December 1997 - The German Association of Toy Retailers, Vedes, and a toy trading company, Spiel and Spass, have called upon their members to withdraw from sale all toys made from soft PVC for children under three.
December 1997 - 70% of the retail market in Germany withdrew from store shelves soft PVC toys for children under three. These include: Karstadt, Hertie, Horten, Kaufhof Warenhaus AG and Kaufhalle, as well as mail the order companies such as Otto and Quelle. The German drugstore chains dm and Budnikowski likewise no longer sell any baby toys containing PVC. In addition, the worldwide toy manufacturer Ravensburger stopped selling PVC products and eliminated PVC packaging on their products.
February 1998 - The companies Smart Baby, Chavalin, Prenatal and Suavinex voluntarily withdrew four soft PVC products in Spain after the Health Ministry said that phthalates in these products exceeded the levels permitted in Spain.
March 11, 1998 -Solvay and EVC filed a lawsuit against the local authorities of Modena (Italy) for having adopted a resolution against PVC toys
March 17, 1998 - A third injunction was filed by Solvay and EVC against Greenpeace Italy, this time as a result of Greenpeace informing its supporters that the companies had filed legal suits against the organization. The same claims and requests for damages were submitted as in the April and December 1997 injunctions.
April 1998 - Babelito, one of the largest baby products manufacturer in Argentina, informed Greenpeace that it withdrew from sale all soft PVC products and had stopped the production and importation of new PVC toys.
May 1998 - Three German companies including two major companies, Novatex and Continua, began labeling their toys "PVC-Free."
May 1998 - The British Toy Company Jackal International, which distributes Tommee Tippee teethers, began labeling their toys "PVC-free"
June 2, 1998 - Mattel Scandinavia announced it will phasout PVC packaging by the end of 1999, according to an agreement made with the largest food retailer in Denmark, FDB.
July 6, 1998 - ARTBABY, a toy producer in Argentina , sent a letter to Greenpeace stating "our company has decided to suspend the selling of products……made of PVC under the trademark 'TEDDY.' "
July 9, 1998 - Gran Papa, a toy retailer in Japan, declared its company PVC-free regarding toys for children under three years old. Gran Papa has 17 retail shops across Japan. Also, one major department chain is does not sell PVC toys for children under three and two more have set phase out dates.
September 23,
1998 - Mattel, Inc announced its committment to begin to phaseout phthalates
in plastic
teething toys for children under 36 months. The company plans to begin shipment
of phthalate-free teethers and other toys intended for the mouth in the first
quarter of 1999 on a worldwide basis. No commitment on phasing out the use of
PVC was given.
September 24, 1998 - The Little Tikes division of Rubbermaid Inc. announces that they will also phase out the use of phthalates. This is later confirmed as as phase out of PVC in toys for children under three.
September 25, 1998 - Greenpeace Germany reports that in the course of this year the German manufacturers Continua, Novatex, Fashy, Mapa and Helly have been increasingly marketing articles which are free of PVC and phthalates, some of which have been labelled 'phthalate-free' and 'PVC free'.
October 6, 1998 - A fourth injuction was filed by Solvay and EVC against Greenpeace Italy, this time as a result of a Greenpeace action at the EVC headquarters in Venice. Solvay and EVC claimed $3 million USD for damages.
November 12, 1998 - The Wall Street Journal reports that Rubbermaid's Little Tikes unit says it will phase out PVC entirely, though vinyl is used in less than 2% of its toys,mostly as add-on figures and emblems. "Our view at Little Tikes was that 'Gee, it's such a small thing, and if it makes consumers happy. . . it's not that hard for us to do something differently,' " says Lorrie Paul Crum, spokeswoman for Rubbermaid.
November 12,
1998 - Also in the Wall Street Journal, First Years Inc. of Avon, Mass.,
which specializes
in baby toys, said it, too, will explore alternative materials, "to ensure
that all of The First Years' mouthable products are pthalate-free in 1999."
November 12, 1998 - Safety 1st announces that they will be phasing out phthalates, saying "Our decision to phase out the use of phthalates in plastic teethers is part of our ongoing effort to identify and use new materials that the reflect the latest and most advanced product development research so that we can continually provide the highest quality products to our customers."
November 12, 1998 - Gerber Products Company also joined other major toy and baby care companies announcing it will phase out phthalates from its vinyl toys and baby care products.
November 13, 1998 - The toy retailer Toys "R" Us,nnounced its immediate plans for the worldwide removal of all direct-to-mouth products for infant use containing phthalates, such as teethers,rattles and pacifiers. Product removal IS expected to be completed by November 18.
November 23,
1998 - Greenpeace welcomed the decision by the Italian companies Artsana,
Prenataland Grazioli to stop using vinyl plastic (PVC) in their products for
infants and children under three worldwide. Artsana is the producer of the Chicco
brand of products for infants, and is one of the 3 world leading manufacturers
of infant toys in Europe and the US, together with Mattel and Hasbro. In a letter
to Domitilla Senni of Greenpeace Italy, Artsana states that they have substituted
soft PVC with the plastics EVA and PE in toys for children under three years.
November 1998. The Dutch company Ambitoys replaced the PVC suction pads
with rubber on their last two products using PVC
December 3, 1998 - The US Consumer Protection Commission announces that it has asked manufacturers to phase out the use of phthalates in teething toys and rattles. The give the following list of manufacturers that have stopped or will stop using phthalates in teethers and rattles by early 1999:
Chicco (also phasing
out soft PVC for children under three)
Little Tikes (also phasing out soft PVC for direct to mouth products)
Disney
Mattel (Fisher-Price ARCOTOYS, Tyco Preschool)
Evenflo
Safety 1st
The First Years
Sassy (is also phasing out PVC in teething toys)
Gerber
Shelcore Toys
Hasbro (incl. Playskool) Warner Brothers Studio Stores
The following US retailers have removed phthalate-containing teethers, rattles, pacifiers, and bottle nipples from store shelves:
Toys-R-Us
Walmart
Sears
Target
K-Mart
December 3 1998. The US company Sassy said in a letter 'None of our MAM
pacifiers and teethers contains any PVC. Parts of two of our Sassy toys designed
for sucking and teething do contain PVC… concerns within the marketplace have
prompted us to find alternative materials. By the end of the first quarter of
1999 the above two products will no longer contain any PVC.'
January 5 1999. The Spanish company Play By Play- Toys Noveities announce
that they will stop making chewable soft PVC toys for children under three.
February 5 1999. Greenpeace USA releases a 'report card' to the media,
grading companies from A - F according to their commitment to phase out soft
PVC. (' INDUSTRY REPORT CARD ON TOXIC TOYS: A FEW "A's" AND TOO MANY "F's".')
In response, once company's grades go up from 'F' to 'B', when they clarify
their position. Lamaze Infant Development/ Learning Curve stated in correspondence;
'there is no vinyl in any of our toys that are meant to go into children's mouths.
Never has been never will be. Goal is for vinyl to be eliminated by end year
for all toys for kids under 3. For other toys, to be eliminated when feasible
(and safe) alternative can be found.'
March 18, 1999. On the opening day of the Tokyo Toy Fair, Greenpeace
releases an international report card (Greenpeace grades industry efforts to
eliminate risky PVC toys) which show that major international toy manufacturers
are still foot-dragging in eliminating polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in children's
products despite growing international opposition. Greenpeace hung a 20-meter
banner on the Tokyo Big Sight building urging more than 150 companies partaking
in the Fair to go PVC-free.
April 14 1999, Bandai, Japan's largest toy producer (most famous for
the Tamagocchi virtual pet) sent a fax to Greenpeace Japan confirming that they
have already stopped the use of PVC in the manufacture of certain toys. According
to Bandai, PVC in the type of toy normally sucked or chewed by children is no
longer used in products intended for children under three years of age. The
fax stated that Bandai recognise the environmental and public health effects
not only of phthalates in PVC, but of PVC as a source of dioxin. Bandai, however,
are not yet willing to go 100% PVC free.
June 1999. Tomy, the second largest toy producer in Japan, sent a letter
to Greenpeace Japan confirming that they have already stopped the use of PVC
in products that could be chewed for children under three years age. Tomy said
that they have been researching into alternatives not only for soft PVC but
also hard PVC (packaging materials). Tomy recognises the environmental and public
health effects not only of phthalates in PVC, but of PVC as a source of dioxin.
Tomy, however, are not yet willing to go 100% PVC free.
June 1999. First Years are labelling the packaging of a Winnie the Pooh
teether with 'PVC Free: contains no polyvinyl chloride or phthalates.'
June 7, 1999. The Japan Toy Association announces that they are currently
conducting research into alternatives to phthalates and that they expect the
shift to alternatives to be completed by the end of this year.
September 1999. Greenpeace Spain received a notification from the toys
Spanish company AMPA HISPANIA,S.A. about their intention to phase out PVC from
all their products. This company supplies, among others, to one of the largest
Department Stores in Spain "EL CORTE INGLÉS". They intend to stop selling PVC
teethers from September 1999, and eliminate 'collection 2000' (bathing toys
and spoons) which contain PVC, by November 1999.