PVC might come out of toys

According to today's Wall Street Journal, toy manufacturers are facing increased pressure to remove a vinyl composite, the nasty PVC, from toys. A well-balanced piece, it says Wal-Mart and Target are trying to find alternatives, including some made by veggie resins by a company called I Play:

After recalling millions of toys to protect consumers from lead paint, toy makers face growing pressure over another material, a plastic found in myriad playthings, from balls to dolls.

Depending on how it is made, PVC frequently contains lead or other toxic metals. Vinyl chloride, used to make PVC, has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a carcinogen. Certain chemicals in the phthalate family, which often are used to soften PVC in toys and other products, have been linked by researchers to developmental and other health problems in children.

The Skinny: Europe has already apparently banned PVC for toys and California is planning to ban pthalates, a family of hormone-mimicking chemicals used to soften PVC, next year. For an excellent editorial on pthalates and California's new Green Chemistry Initiative, see last week's LA Times.