| Environmental
Impact
REHANCE contains no PVCs or
Phthalates!
We are
deeply concerned about the environmental impact of PVC. The
U. S. screenprinting industry uses an estimated 1.5 million
gallons of plastisol ink every year, and between 30% to 50% of
that ink contains PVCs. PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) --
often referred to as "'vinyl" -- is one of the most versatile
of the plastic materials and yet most hazardous for the
environment, both during production and disposal.
Dioxins, one of the most
toxic chemicals and potent carcinogen known to science, are
created and released during the production of PVC. This
creates several environmental hazards:
-
At the end of its lifetime, PVC must be either burned or
buried. Burning PVC releases dioxins and hydrochloric acid,
which contributes to acid rain that can contaminate land and
water.
-
Dioxins are extremely long-lived in the environment, and,
because they are fat soluble, they concentrate in the
tissues of humans and others species.
Dioxins from Louisiana manufacturing plants migrate on the
winds and concentrate in Great Lakes’ fishes. The dioxin
exposure of the average American already poses a calculated
risk of somewhere between 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 - thousands
of times greater than the usual standard for acceptable
risk.
-
PVC is difficult and expensive to recycle, so much of it
ends up in landfills where, over time, harmful additives,
such as phthalates, can leak.
Phthalates
(pronounced
'thal-aytes') are found in
plastisol ink and is what gives the ink stretch and
flexibility. It is unclear how much damage this manmade
material is causing, however the EU recently banned two
phthalates, DEHP and DBP, from use in cosmetic and personal
care products.
Further information about the hazardous impact to the
environment from Dioxins and Phthalates can be obtained from
the following websites:
Dioxin
From Cradle to Grave - Summary of Findings
PVC:
Overview of Hazards and Alternatives
New Concerns about
Phthalates
Phthalates and Human Health
By Kenneth Green, D.Env.
New
Concerns about Phthalates
By Janet Raloff
CPSC Releases Study on Phthalates in Teethers, Rattles and
Other Children's Products
Phthalates
in Cosmetics in America Report
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