Group calls for non-toxic toys as Christmas season looms

Expecting higher demand for children's toys during the Christmas season, an environment group asked the government to ensure that those that will be sold in the market are free of toxic chemicals. In a statement, EcoWaste Coalition president Roy Alvarez said two kinds of toys that failed chemical toxic tests in Singapore are now being sold in Divisoria, Manila’s bargain haunt. He did not name the toys. “To make the holidays merry and safe, especially for kids, we ask the government to guarantee that only truly non-toxic toys are placed in store shelves and sold to consumers," said Alvarez. “We all owe it to the Filipino children that toys laced with chemicals linked to mental retardation, brain damage, behavioral disorders, and the like are strictly banned and kept out of children's hands," he added. Citing a study by the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) last month, EcoWaste said that 23 of the 50 toys tested contained high levels of phtalates, lead, or both. Toys brightly and colorfully painted indicate possible presence of excessive lead, while soft and pliable toys indicate the presence of excessive phthalates — a colorless oily ester used chiefly as a solvent, plasticizer, pesticide, and insect repellent — according to the study. All the toys in the CASE study were made in China. EcoWaste also expressed concern that the toys sold in Divisoria did not carry proper labels to indicate "whether these toys are suitable and pose no potential health and safety risks to kids." —Sophia Dedace, VS, GMANews.TV