Don´t play with toxics! Eva Eiderström

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Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

• Eva Eiderström -Director Dept. of Ecolabelling and Green consumption

• 1909

• 178.000 members

• Democratic

• Regional and local societies

• Networks

• Environment, health, solidarity

• Love of nature, policy pressure, consumer power

• Consumer campaigns since 1989

Envirotoxins

Agriculture and Food

Climate

Sea

Forests

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Recent examples

Healthytoys.org

Lead 10,062 Cadmium 0Chlorine/PVC 487,366 Arsenic 678Mercury 0 † Note: numbers in this table represent parts per million of the given chemical.

Cheap, fast and obedient - SwedWatch 2004: The companies hunt for cheap toys have also caused environmental costs. Greenpeace Hong Kong has measured lead and mercury levels domwnstream factories which are above reccommended maximum values many times over.

”We use the water from the factories for irrigation. We don´t have another choice. There is no other water” anonymous farmer by the Dongjian river,

87,90% of global toy production from Asia

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2007 Fisher -Price recalls 1.500.000

Mattel recalls 18.000.000 toysLead 180 times allowed levelsLoose magnets

Starletz large ceramic tea setTea kettle starlet image

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Establish trust in toys

• Environmental requirements has to be included - precautionary principle

• Chemicals toxic to the environment should not be used

• Chemicals causing allergy or disrupting hormones should not be used

• Fragrances should be forbidden in toys

• All chemicals that may cause cancer, mutations or impair reproduction should be forbidden

• Information about the chemicals used in a toy should follow the toy under its life-cycle

• Producer responsibility on toys should be introduced

Swedish kids recieve, on average: more than 200 kg of toys before the age of 13

2006 Sweden imported 22.400 tonnes. +32% since 2000.

A swedish kid on average has 537 toys

Puchases of toys+games 1.300 Skr/household/year

1/3 is bought in december

Toyshops, retailers, netshopping

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www.naturskyddsforeningen.se