The 'Poison Plastic' Retailers Won't Talk About

By Lois Gibbs, AlterNet. Posted October 11, 2006.

PVC plastic (commonly used in toys, shower curtains, bags, shoes and more) has been linked to cancer and birth defects -- so why won't big-box stores like Target stop selling it?

To watch an original animated short about PVC, hot off the presses, go HERE.

Twenty five years ago I was raising my family in Love Canal near Niagara Falls when I discovered that my home was sitting next to 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals. That shocking discovery spurred me and my neighbors to lead a three-year struggle to protect our families from the hazardous waste buried in our backyards. Our fight at Love Canal led to President Jimmy Carter announcing an Emergency Declaration, which moved 900 families from this hazardous area and signified the victory of our efforts.

Today we have learned that we cannot escape poisonous chemicals in our communities. They are not only in factories and toxic dumps, but in everyday household goods like shower curtains and cosmetics. One of today's most dangerous toxic offenders is PVC, the poison plastic, also known as vinyl.