Rome, 15 December 1997

In an attempt to prevent further campaigning against PVC in general and toys in particular two chemical giants, Solvay and European Vinyls Corporation, accused Greenpeace of slander, boycot and economic damage, and have filed suit for 45 thousand million Lire (27 million US dollars) damage compensation.

Despite the industry action, this morning at 9h30, Father Christmas accompanied by ten Greenpeace activists entered the Ministry of Health carrying boxes full of harmful PVC toys and singing Jingle Bells tunes. Four other activists climbed on the balcony of the building and displayed an Italian and English banner reading " Bindi [the Minister of Health] : Stop PVC toys !".

The action came as a result of the Italian government not taking action to ban soft PVC toys.

Greenpeace has been campaigning internationally against the sale of soft PVC toys because of harmful additives within the vinyl that have been shown in independent studies to leak into children's mouths when they suck or chew on them.

Last September, Greenpeace released a report showing that soft PVC toys for children, such as teethers, contain up to 40% by weight of softening chemical additives known as phthalates. Independent laboratory tests conducted on animals show that phthalates are toxic, with health effects ranging from liver and kidney damage to reproductive abnormalities.

The softeners contained in PVC toys are not totally bound to the plastic. When children suck and chew on soft PVC toys, these hazardous chemicals can leach out. The migration of phthalates from toys is also supported by the results of recent analyses conducted by independent laboratories in Germany and in the Czech Republic, and published by Greenpeace.

Two weeks ago the Danish Government was instructed by the Ministry of Environment and Energy to prepare an action programme to eliminate hazardous softeners in PVC toys. This was prompted by tests conducted last summer in Denmark on soft PVC toys from an Italian Toy Manufacturer, Chicco. To date, however, the Italian authorities have taken no action to eliminate PVC in toys.

Greenpeace contacted major producers and retailers in Italy, asking them to withdraw these hazardous toys. Only 3 companies have taken action: Giochi Preziosi, IKEA and Lego. However other retailers in Europe have withdrawn soft PVC toys for children under three including the Belgian Retail Federation, and major retailers in Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark.

"Our children's health is at risk, stated Fabrizio Fabbri of Greenpeace. These toys should not be on sale. We will continue to alert the public about the risks of these toys until the government finally acts, even though we face a financial threat from the vinyl corporations."