Denmark to ban hazardous chemicals in toys

[Alan Watson <alanwatson@gn.apc.org>]

  More on the recent post by Charlie:
  
  ------------------------- 
  Denmark to ban hazardous chemicals in toys 
  ENDS Daily - 03/12/97 
  ------------------------- 
  Danish environment minister Svend Auken has asked the 
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to draft legislation 
  to ban the use of hazardous substances in toys.  He 
  specifically referred to the use of phthalate plasticisers 
  and heavy metals such as lead, both of which are found in 
  toys made of PVC.  Mr Auken's action follows the EPA's 
  findings earlier this year that phthalates in some soft PVC 
  teething rings leach from the toys at high rates when 
  sucked (ENDS Daily 28 May).  Several EU governments have 
  since called on toy retailers to withdraw soft PVC toys and 
  environmental group Greenpeace has mounted an intensive 
  campaign to have all PVC toys banned (ENDS Daily 1 
  December).  Recently, Mr Auken also pointed out that 
  legally permitted lead levels in toys are higher than those 
  allowed in some other applications.  In a newspaper 
  interview yesterday, Mr Auken announced that he plans to 
  contact the European Commission to ask it to draft EU-wide 
  legislation to ban the use of hazardous substances in toys.  
  Mr Auken has also said he wants the Danish toy industry to 
  consider a voluntary agreement to cease imports of toys 
  containing hazardous substances.  A spokesman for the 
  Danish Toys Association said it has requested an early 
  meeting with Mr Auken and EPA officials. 
   
  Contacts:  Danish Environmental Protection Agency 
  (http://www.mst.dk/depa/index.htm), tel: +45 32 66 01 00. 
   
  
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