Recent analysis (by IPEN, Arnika and other NGOs) of consumer products sold in the EU made from recycled plastics has revealed toxic flame-retardant contamination in some children's toys, hair accessories, office supplies, kitchen utensils and other plastic products. The European Union with Brazil, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea and Turkey are 7 out of 182 parties to the Stockholm Convention that registered and made a recycling exemption for toxic polybrominated diphenyl ethers (POPs), after they were banned under the Stockholm Convention in 2004. They will allow it to continue until 2030.
Via letters, environmental health organizations are urging the seven governments to end the practice, and withdrawing the recycling exemptions because of the contamination of the recycling stream to banned chemicals in products and threats to public health, especially children's health.
See the letter to the EU here.
NGOs encourage the EU and 6 other parties to announce their withdrawal of recycling exemptions for TetraBDE, PentaBDE, HexaBDE and HeptaBDE at the upcoming 9th Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention 29 April in Geneva, Switzerland.
