NEW YORK CITY, December 11, 1997

Dangerous Additives, Including Lead and Cadmium Found in Vinyl (PVC) Toys

Two months after Greenpeace revealed that vinyl (PVC) toys contain toxic chemicals such as lead and cadmium, parents, and consumer and environmental activists today protested in front of FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue, demanding that the retailer stop selling vinyl toys. The "Toxic To Patrol"-- Greenpeace, New York Public Interest Research Group, United Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees union (UNITE!), and Mothers and Others -- released the results of independent laboratory tests on several PVC toys purchased at FAO Schwarz, which also showed high levels of lead and cadmium.

"The alarming test results from these vinyl toys mirror those found by independent labs in several US cities," said Greenpeace's Kenny Bruno. "In many of these cases, lead levels are so high they would trigger a product recall if found in paint. During the busiest toy shopping season of the year, parents should know about the dangers of PVC toys. As a father, I call on FAO Schwarz to act responsibly and stop selling them immediately."

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause brain damage and learning disabilities. Cadmium, also a toxic metal, can cause cancer and other health effects. Because both metals have been found to leach out of vinyl products, especially when handled extensively, sucked on, or chewed, children are especially vulnerable.

KBB, the company which owns FAO Schwarz, has already removed many PVC toys from shelves of three of its retailers in the Netherlands, due to concern raised this summer by the Dutch Ministry of Health about the phthalate content in those items. Phthalates are softening agents used in vinyl toys like teething rings, and have been shown to cause tumors, liver and kidney damage, and reproductive abnormalities when ingested by laboratory animals.

"There is one sure way to prevent children from being poisoned by these toys," said Greenpeace's Joel Tickner. "FAO Schwarz, and companies like Mattel and Disney can do what Lego has already done: pledge to eliminate PVC from their product lines and store shelves, ensuring that children are not exposed to this kind of contamination."

Greenpeace has long advocated for a total phaseout of PVC, which can leak harmful additives throughout its life cycle. The most notorious of these is dioxin, a known human carcinogen, which is released when PVC is created and incinerated, contaminating land, air and waterways. New recognition of lead and cadmium content in PVC only reinforces the need to phase out this substance in favor of the safer alternatives that now exist. The Greenpeace Report, "Lead and Cadmium in Vinyl Children's Products," as well as comments on the report by independent experts, are available at the Greenpeace website.

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