Mattel Seeking Alternative to Plastic
Mattel Inc., the world’s largest toy maker, has announced an initiative aimed at making its plastic toys out of environmentally friendly, organically based materials derived from edible oils and plant starches.
The maker of Barbie, Power Wheels and Fisher-Price toys said Tuesday it hoped to begin making products from renewable materials as early as 2001, initially in toys aimed at children under 3 years old.
If substitutes are found, they could be used in all Mattel brands and product lines and replace polyvinyl chloride and a controversial group of chemical additives called phthalates that are used in soft plastic toys, the company said. Some phthalate compounds have been linked to cancer and kidney and liver damage in animals, and their threat to humans is being studied.
The announcement was hailed as a “revolutionary step” by Greenpeace, the international environmental group, which has led an aggressive fight against toys made with phthalates. “With Mattel an industry leader, this is a sea change for the toy industry and perhaps for the use of plastics in general,” said Rick Hind, legislative director for Greenpeace’s campaign.
Mattel’s announcement came just as the European Union met to formally approve an emergency ban on phthalates in polyvinyl chloride toys designed to be chewed by children under 3, such as baby rattles and teething toys. About eight European countries now have some sort of prohibition on the sale of PVC toys, but the EU ban would be effective in 15 countries.
Last year, the staff of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission decided against recommending a ban on PVC toys made with phthalates, saying its studies showed that the amount of phthalates ingested by small children “does not even come close to a harmful level.” The agency also expects to name a scientific panel next month to study whether the phthalate commonly used in toys is a cancer risk.
The American toy industry has repeatedly said there is no evidence to indicate a health risk from toys made with phthalates. Even so, most major companies last year said they would no longer use the additive for teething toys and rattles.
A new study by a coalition of consumer and environmental groups released Wednesday indicates that for the most part, phthalates are no longer found in teething toys and rattles sold by major retailers. But the study, by the National Environmental Trust, a nonprofit educational group, found that many teethers sold by local discount or “dollar” stores contained high levels of phthalates.
Mattel spokesman Glenn Bozarth said the company’s position on phthalates “remains the same: The scientific evidence still strongly supports the safety of phthalates. But concerns have been expressed by retailers and environmental groups and we want to address those concerns.”
