WECF France and WECF the Netherlands organise Toys Events in November

A toys testing action on 16th November in Paris
Toys should not contain chemicals of concern that can be harmful to children’s health. To investigate the presence of brominated flame retardants, formaldehyde, benzene and other chemicals of concern in toys, WECF France organizes a toys testing action on November 16th in Paris.
Parents, children and all people willing to participate are invited to bring their toys and have them tested. Raising concerns about electromagnetic fields in toys will also be addressed.  The event is organized with the support of Quad-Lab laboratory. Read more

The First Dutch Ever Toys Convention on November 10 in Utrecht
The convention will be an informative and interactive afternoon attended by (concerned) parents, toy manufacturers, retailers, politicians, childcare workers, etc. In short, stakeholders, just like you.
Speakers and audience will collectively prepare  questions and statements which national and European parliamentarians can take with them.  During the convention everyone is invited to bring their toys and have them tested. Read more

EECCA NGO Appeal on toys safety

After the discussion between the NGOs and EU presidency on key issues of the Environment for Europe process on 23 September 2011 in Astana, EECCA NGO made an appeal to national governments of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia region with the request to ensure toxic free toys.

The appeal was signed by 211 organisations  and 1500 individuals from all EECCA countries as well as from the South-East Asia, Mexico, Canada, the United States of America, and Germany. Read more

Seminar in Skopje "Journalists workshop for toy's safety"

Journalists for Children and Women Rights and Environmental Protection, a Macedonian NGO and partner of WECF, orgnised a seminar on toys safety on May 27 2011.

The Info Centre of the Delegation of the European Commission in Skopje was the location where participants and journalists from all types of media gathered. The seminar was organised as part of the “Product and Chemical Safety in the Balkans“ project. The event was visited by journalists and  representatives of SAICM and national institutions from Macedonia, as well the partners of the project from Serbia- Resource Center Leskovac and the Albania-Women's movement for Integral Development. Read more

For more information on toys safety please visit WECF website on Chemicals & Health.

Lead levels in new enamel household paints from Asia, Africa and South America

In 2006 a report on the analysis for lead in 80 new residential paints from four countries in Asia revealed high levels in three of the countries (China, India and Malaysia) and low levels in a fourth country (Singapore) where a lead in paint regulation was enforced. Read more

The lead content of currently available new residential paint in several Asian countries

Worldwide prohibitions on lead gasoline additives were a major international public health accomplishment, the results of which are still being documented in parts of the world. Although the need to remove lead from paints has been recognized for over a century, evidence reported in this article indicates that lead-based paints for household use, some containing more than 10% lead, are readily available for purchase in some of the largest countries in the world. Read more

Sweden finds banned phthalates in toys

26-Aug-2011

The Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemi) has tested a number of toys and found that some contained levels of phthalates in concentrations higher than those legally permitted.

According to Kemi, after an analysis of 22 inflatable toys for use in water such as bathing rings, mattresses and beach balls, it found that three of the products contained higher than acceptable levels of the phthalates DINP and DIDP. The agency said that the companies, which had supplied the three toys, had been informed of the results and must now stop selling the products.

Frida Ramström, technical officer in Kemi's enforcement division, said the companies contacted were all Swedish and that “all of the products were made in China”.

She added that the agency planned to analyse more toys this autumn to examine phthalate levels. “This time it will not be bathing toys, but soft plastic toys like dolls, Halloween masks and so on," she explained. "I cannot say when the results from this study will be finished, since we have not started yet, but hopefully before Christmas.” Read more

Toxic fun

30 percent of  toys gathered in different Philippine’s toys stores and tested by EcoWaste Coalition and International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) were positive “for at least one toxic metal above levels of concern,” with 60 of them containing one of a group of dangerous chemicals that are known to be poisonous: antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead or mercury. Read more