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Toxic Nation Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies



For the full report click here
For the wallet guide click here

1. Many school supplies, such as lunchboxes, backpacks and binders, are often made out of PVC which is dangerous to health and the environment because it:

  • Releases dioxins when manufactured or burned; these are a highly toxic group of chemicals that can cause cancer, and harm the immune and reproductive systems
  • Leaches or releases phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins which may contribute to developmental disorders and damage of the liver, central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems

2. General tips to avoid PVC products:

  • Look for non-plastic products whenever possible
  • Steer clear of products labelled with the words “vinyl” on the packaging (e.g., vinyl 3-ring binders)
  • Don’t purchase products with the #3 recycling symbol, or with the letters “V” or “PVC” underneath the recycling symbol (remember that bad news comes in #3’s, don’t buy PVC)
  • Call or email the manufacturer or retailer and ask what type of plastic their product is made of if you are uncertain - you have a right to know

3. Specific tips to avoid PVC in certain products:

  • Art supplies: look for clays made without PVC and phthalates, or make your own (recipes are available online at www.theholidayzone.com/recipes/dough.html).
  • Backpacks: avoid those with shiny plastic designs
  • Clothing and accessories: look for PVC-free fabrics and materials
  • Electronics: purchase products from manufacturers who have committed to phasing out PVC and other toxic chemicals in their production
  • Food wrap: use PVC-free butcher paper, waxed paper, parchment paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) or cellulose bags
  • Lunchboxes: use cloth lunch bags or metal lunchboxes
  • Notebooks: choose those without metal spirals covered in coloured plastic
  • Organizers and address books: select those made with sustainably harvested wood, metal, or paper covers
  • Packaging of school supplies: select those made from more easily recycled materials like paper (look for those with higher post-consumer recycled content), paperboard, and glass
  • Paperclips: stick to plain metal paperclips
  • Three-ring binders: use cardboard, fabric-covered, or polypropylene binders
  • Umbrellas: look for those made out of materials such as nylon
  • Utensils and dishware: use glass or stainless steel drinking containers, use stainless steel utensils or if disposables are required, look for bio-based ones, and never microwave with plastics
  • Use the PVC-Free Guide and Wallet Guide to start identifying companies that have PVC-free products: be careful not to by their non-PVC-ones though

4. The following list contains items in the PVC-Guide that are available in Canada (note that The Green Office is an online retailer only):

Academic Supplies
Binders

  • VLB Marketing (some products at Grand & Toy): PP binders and notebooks
  • Avery: certain products are PVC-free (e.g., "Heavy-Duty" binder line, aluminum binders, round ring poly binder, translucent active reference binder)
  • The Green Office: Aurora Products Elements Eco-Friendly, Recycled PRESSTEX, and Rebinder round ring binders

Notebook Dividers

  • VLB Marketing (some products at Grand & Toy): PP dividers, expanding files
  • Avery: PE, PP dividers
  • Office Depot: Office Depot® durable plastic polyethylene 5-tab color dividers
  • The Green Office: Elements Eco-Friendly binders

Pens/Pencils/Erasers/Markers/Etc.

  • Bic Corporation: Round Stic ballpoint pen
  • The Green Office: PVC-free plastic clips

Planners/Address Books

  • The Green Office: At-a-Glance dayplanners

Report Covers and Sheet Protectors

  • VLB Marketing (some products at Grand & Toy): PP report covers, envelopes, presentation folders, file folders
  • The Green Office: pressboard report cover with reinforced or Tyvek-reinforced top hinges, Easy Load top loading recycled polypropylene sheet protectors

Apparel
Clothing and Glasses

  • H&M: all H&M products are PVC-free and glasses nose pads are made of silicone

Shoes

  • Adidas: sandals are made of EVA and have a rubber outsole, while shoes have an EVA insole and midsole
  • Asics: all products are PVC-free and made of bamboo, canvas, EVA, leather, rubber, etc
  • Birkenstocks: uppers are made of acrylic and PA, leather, wool, while footbed is made of cork, leather, jute and soles are made of EVA and PU
  • Crocs: made of EVA and some have a rubber sole - note that Croc decorative charms and knockoffs are made with PVC
  • Nike: all products are PVC-free
  • Simple Shoes: all products are PVC-free and mostly made with bamboo, cotton, hemp, and recycled rubber
  • Puma: uppers are made of canvas, mesh, PU, suede, while outsole is made of EVA and rubber

Backpacks

  • Jansport: all backpacks are PVC- and lead-free
  • Land's End: all backpacks are PVC-free

Rainboots and Raincoats

  • H&M: rainboots are made of EVA, nylon, PE, polyester, PP, PU
  • The North Face: raincoats made of HyVent (PU) - note that their GoreTex fabrics contain PVC

Art Supplies
Modeling Clays

  • Crayola: Air-dry clay - be sure to avoid Sculpy and Fimo clay
  • Play-Doh: flour-based products

Electronics
Cell Phones

  • Apple: all cell phones are PVC free
  • Nokia: all products after 2007 are PVC-free
  • Sony Ericsson: all new phones are PVC-free

Computer Monitors

  • Acer: G24 LCD monitor is PVC-free with the exception of the power cord
  • Apple: all products are PVC-free with the exception of the power cords
  • Dell: G-series monitors
  • Lenovo: ThinkVision series is PVC-free

Laptops

  • Apple: all products after 2008 are PVC-free with the exception of the power cords
  • Sony: Vaio models have PVC-free exterior casing and cables, but some PVC is still used internally
  • Toshiba: Notebook PC, Portege R500 and R600 are PVC -and BFR-free, with the exception of the internal power cord

Lunch Supplies
Lunch Boxes

  • Land’s End: Character Lunch Box, ClassMate, Deluxe Lunch Sack, HotStuff, Lunch Sack, Therma Cool

Lunch Wraps

  • Glad: made of HDPE, LDPE, PP
  • Rubbermaid: made of HDPE, LDPE, PP - note that Rubbermaid does use polycarbonate plastic in some of its products which are labelled on their website
  • Saran Wrap: Premium Wrap and Cling Plus Wrap are made out of polyethylene - note that the original Saran Wrap was made out of PVC but SC Johnson reformulated the product to remove all PVC