You may not know it, but most bags—from your luggage to your backpack—are loaded with toxins and chemicals. A common chemical coating in bags is PVC, an everyday plastic that is actually toxic in nature. PVC can have long-term health effects.

PVC's entire life cycle, from production through use and disposal, has a negative impact on human health and our environment. Worker’s health and safety issues have plagued the PVC industry for decades. Many industries are aware of PVC dangers yet they are doing nothing to stop the use and production of PVC. When PVC is burned it emits toxic hydrogen chloride gas, which turns into hydrochloric acid on contact with moisure within our lungs.

PVC production fuses vinyl chloride molecules with toxic metals such as lead and cadmium, which are added as plasticizers and stabilizers. Because of the chemical properties of chlorine, the by-products of PVC production tend to be far more toxic, more persistent in the environment, and more likely to build up in the food supply and the bodies of people than otherwise similar chlorine-free chemicals. Because PVC is the only major plastic that contains chlorine, its hazards are unique.

The dangers of PVC—Polyvinyl Chloride—include:

• Inclusion of toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium and phthalates (which can leach into

children’s mouths)

• Release of chemical gases

• Byproducts include carcinogens such as dioxin

• When burned or heated, PVC creates hydrochloric acid

• When buried, toxic chemicals from PVC leak into the earth

For more information on PVC and the danger it presents, visit www.pvcinformation.org.

REMEMBER THERE ARE SAFE ALTERNATIVES TO PVC!