Tag: toxic chemicals

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10 Easy Steps to Go Plastic-Free Today

The word "plastic: spelled out in large plastic colorful letters, on white background.
Photo by Merakist on Unsplash.

Here are 10 ways to go plastic-free quickly!

Some of these overlap with my “14 Ways to Go Plastic-Free with Food,” but these are the easiest overall switches you can begin with, to give you momentum and make an immediate impact. Once these have become routine, you’ll start thinking about all of the plastic in your life. Especially those single-use disposable plastics!

1. Say no to plastic bags.

Reusable bags are sold everywhere these days, and given out for free at many places, too. However, many of those are made of plastic cloth and don’t last a long time. Look for canvas bags, which last longer and can be mended easily. The best place to buy plain canvas and cloth bags is usually craft stores. You can even decorate them with permanent markers, tie-dye, regular dye, or fabric paint. (Bonus if you use materials you already have in your home or obtained secondhand.)

Pro-tip: Store your bags in your car so that they’re always with you.

Close up of a canvas bag and its handle, off white, on a white background.
Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash.

Or, go for something easy to travel with, such as ChicoBags, which are packable bags that fold into a small pouch and have a carabiner clip to attach to a keychain, backpack, or purse. I personally own a set of these and really like them.

Blue colored ChicoBag with pouch, on white background.
Image from ChicoBags.

Worst-case scenario: If you find yourself without your reusable bags, ask the store for paper bags instead of plastic.

Super Pro tip: Avoid plastic produce bags, too, by investing in a set of reusable produce bags.

4 reusable off white mesh cloth produce bags with different types of produce in each one, on a white table.
Photo by Karola G from Pexels.
Reusable plastic mesh produce bags with various vegetables in them, on a light wood table.
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.

Or, skip a bag altogether. Bananas, for example, have their own packaging – so they don’t really need a bag! Anything you must peel – onions, oranges, lemons, limes, garlic, avocados – don’t really need a bag!

2. Skip the straw.

You don’t really need a straw for most drinks, especially at sit-down restaurants. Their drinkware is sanitized through a dishwasher with a much hotter temperature than most homes.

If you do need a straw while out and about, or for a child, buy a reusable stainless steel or glass straw. These are relatively inexpensive. You can also buy paper or bamboo straws, which are still disposable, but at least not plastic.

Pro tip: I’ve started saying, “No straw, please” when I first order a beverage now, because restaurants often serve one automatically, out of the wrapper and in the drink. Once that straw is opened, it’s going to the landfill whether you use it or not – so better to request no straw at the onset.

Plastic straw in glass beverage at a bar or restaurant, wooden counter or table.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

3. Stop buying bottled water.

Most bottled water is often just municipal tap water. The plastic bottles are technically recyclable, but only about 8% or 9% of plastics are ever actually recycled. Further, those bottles can leach toxins into the water you drink.

Invest in a reusable water bottle, preferably made from metal or glass, not plastic. These are available almost everywhere, and you can get them secondhand as long as you sanitize them.

Pro tip: Invest in a water filtration system to remove unhealthy toxins from your water.

5 water bottles in various colors, sittin gon a white counter with aqua background.
My family’s various water bottles. Photo by Marie Cullis.

4. Invest in a reusable travel coffee mug.

The disposable cups at Starbucks and other coffee shops are lined with plastic and always come with a plastic lid. These cups can leach microplastics into your drink and into your body. Worse, heat makes the problem even worse because it causes more microplastics to leach from the plastic.1

Buy a reusable travel mug designed for hot beverages.. Again, these are available almost everywhere, and you can get them secondhand as long as you sanitize them.

4 travel mugs in various colors, on a white countertop with aqua wall background.
My family’s various insulated travel mugs. Photo by Marie Cullis.

5. Switch to bar soap.

Body wash, shampoo, and even conditioner that come in plastic bottles are more water than cleanser, so why not just pay for the soap only? This reduces shipping costs and reduces emissions too, since only the soap ships, not the water that normally comes in the product.

There are hundreds of soap options available online. I personally like Nourish Savannah soap, since I have sensitive skin. It has generally safe and gentle ingredients and smells lovely. Bonus: it doesn’t ship with plastic packaging.

Pro tip: Switch to shampoo bars (and conditioner bars!).

4 bars of soap with paper wraps and twine, on a wooden table with lavender sprigs in the background.
Photo by Aurélia Dubois on Unsplash.

6. Stop using fabric softener and dryer sheets.

Fabric softener and dryer sheets usually has toxic ingredients: they contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, chemicals that damage the reproductive system, and compounds that trigger asthma. Fabric softener liquid almost always comes in a plastic bottle. Most fabric dryer sheets are made of nonwoven polyester fabric, which does not biodegrade. It’s the same as plastic trash.

There are so many alternatives! Wool dryer balls have been one of my favorite replacements. And nowadays they come in adorable colors and designs!

6 wool dryer balls, penguin designs. Bag and white background.
Basket of wool dryer balls, some with colorful felted designs.

 

7. Switch to toilet paper that isn’t wrapped in plastic.

Most toilet paper is shipped and sold in non-recyclable plastic wrap. Worse, toilet paper is made from trees, the very thing we humans need to breathe! About 1 million trees are cut down daily to make traditional toilet paper.2

You can hit two targets with one arrow by buying recycled or bamboo toilet paper from companies like Who Gives A Crap (Bonus: they donate 50% of their profits to ensuring everyone worldwide has access to clean water and toilets).

Pro tip: Buy plastic-free paper towels or switch to something reusable.

Super Pro tip: Switch to reusable cloth wipes, also called family cloths.

Who Gives A Crap brand toilet paper rolls (6) and one paper towel roll, wrapped in colorful paper.
Photo by Marie Cullis.

8. Limit the number of plastic items you buy.

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually harder than we initially think. I once needed a new dustpan, but the only ones I could find locally were made of plastic. And those always break and have to be replaced! I found a metal one on Amazon, but of course, it shipped in plastic.

A black metal dustpan wrapped in clear plastic.
The black metal dustpan I bought came wrapped in plastic. Why? Photo by Marie Cullis.

But a dustpan being plastic is something I never thought about until I needed to replace it. And there are dozens of items like this in people’s homes. Plastic pens, storage bins, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, trash cans, soap dispensers, craft paint, clothing hangers, school supplies, purses, shoes, food packaging, dishes, sunglasses, toys, games, ice cube trays…the list is endless.

So, next time you need to replace something, look for a plastic-free alternative!

Pro tip: There are several stores online that sell items that are plastic-free and ship without plastic packaging.

Super Pro-tip: Is there a zero-waste store to shop in your area?

9. Invest in a set of reusable metal or glass food containers.

Use these containers for leftovers, packing lunches, and transporting food for parties. Ball jars or mason jars are perfect for these tasks, too. Don’t buy plastic ones, and especially do not reheat your food in plastic containers because the chemicals in plastics leach into food.

Pro tip: If you already own plastic containers, you can repurpose them to store other items, such as cosmetics, small game pieces, small electronics, or craft supplies.

Super Pro tip: Consider keeping a couple in your car for restaurant leftovers, instead of using the Styrofoam containers restaurants provide.

Tri-bento box or tiffin, all metal, white background.
Tri-bento box from ecolunchboxes.com.
Clear glass container with bamboo lid, Ikea, white background.
Clear glass container with bamboo lid from Ikea.
Collection of foods containers, including metal and glass rectangular ones, a small green soup thermos, a silver tiffin, and 2 Ball jars; on white countertop with aqua wall background.
Some of my family’s food storage containers, including a small soup thermos, a tiffin, Ball jars, and rectangular containers in glass and metal.

10. Buy secondhand.

Buy secondhand, anything appropriate for you. Think clothing, purses, household items, books, video games, board games, smartphones, art supplies, and even school supplies. Whenever you buy secondhand, you reduce your overall carbon footprint through reduced production, packaging, and shipping emissions. This includes lowering the amount of plastic used in both the product and its packaging.

Bonus: Secondhand items cost less, saving you money to spend on other things (like a fun trip!).

Clothing racks with shoes on top, with shoppers and other various vintage items in background.
Photo by Hugo Clément on Unsplash.

“Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same is true for your plastic-free home. It’s going to take some time to transition but with patience and persistence you can easily weed plastic out of your home and create a new lifestyle that’s dramatically leaner when it comes to plastic usage.” -Sandra Ann Harris, founder of ECOlunchbox3

Footnotes:

  1. Article, “Release of microplastics from disposable cups in daily use,” by Huier Chen et. al., Science of the Total Environment, Volume 854, January 1, 2023. ↩︎
  2. Page, “Are 1 million trees really cut down each day to make toilet paper?” Impact & Sustainability Info, whogviesacrap.com, updated February 10, 2025. ↩︎
  3. Book, Say Goodbye to Plastic: A Survival Guide for Plastic-Free Living, by Sandra Ann Harris, Hatherleigh Press, 2020. ↩︎
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This Holiday Season, Let’s Shop Differently and Do Something Unexpected

Black Friday in hot pink letters with black background and sparkles, with white lettering at bottom, Buy Nothing! Save 100%

Many people now understand that Black Friday is mostly a hoax. It used to be a shopping day when people could get decent deals on gifts, but not anymore. Most Black Friday sales are not good deals, have limitations, or are outright scams.

Still, every year, we break records for Black Friday sales. In 2024, consumers spent a record $10.8 billion, which was 10% more than in 2023. That’s also just over double what consumers spent in 2017.1

Worse, inflation over the last few years has not kept pace with wage and salary increases. And things have only worsened with the introduction of new tariffs. Our buying power has decreased. Most people feel the pinch and don’t want to live in debt.

At the same time, extreme wealth is on the rise for those extremely privileged few at the financial top. According to Forbes, there are now more than 3,000 billionaires worldwide, worth $16.1 trillion combined. “But the distribution of this extreme affluence is far from equal. Just three nations account for more than 50% of all billionaires.”2

I think it’s time we reject the billionaires. Or at least stop supporting them.

Further, many of the cheap items we buy don’t last very long, contribute to pollution, have toxic ingredients, or all of those.

Maybe we need longer-lasting, less polluting, and less toxic gift items in our lives.

Scrabble letters, "Holiday Shopping," on wood table with evergreen, Christmas ornament, lights, and holly berries surrounding them.
Photo by sarah b on Unsplash.

What if we could reject the billionaires, protect the environment, save money, and still have a wonderful holiday season?

We can do all of those at once!

Here’s how.

Buy Nothing

If it’s possible for you and your loved ones, opt out of gifting this year. That’s like getting 100% off!

However, it’s unrealistic for many people, myself included. I’m not going to not give gifts this year. I just plan to be smarter and more conscientious about it. You can too, read on!

Close up of American dollar bills and change.
Photo by Mathieu Turle on Unsplash.

Limit Spending on Gifts

First, you don’t need to break the bank. Create a small or moderate gift budget and stick to it. In general, we can give one gift to someone that they will enjoy. We don’t need to shower people with multiple gifts.

People are generally happy just to see their loved ones. Time together is a gift.

Other options: Your family can draw names, Secret Santa style, and buy only for that one person. Or, your family can choose only to give gifts to the children. Or, some families go on a fabulous vacation together, and that is the gift from the parents or grandparents.

Group of people or family sitting on a mountain rock, overlooking a valley with a lake below, at sunset.
Photo by Arthur Poulin on Unsplash.

Buy local

Buying local simply means buying from a local store (not a chain store) or vendor. These are often referred to as small businesses or Mom & Pop stores. But they can be anything from local craftspeople at farmers’ markets to food trucks to storefronts. Think about the locally owned bookstore, the local comic book or game shop, or the locally owned coffee shop in your area. Is there a local cheese shop, bakery, winery, soap shop, chocolatier, or ethnic food store near you? Maybe you can buy a beautiful houseplant at the local garden store. You might have to search a little, but I bet you can find several choices in your area.

Chalkboard sitting a shop window, "Thank you for shopping local."
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.

Buy second-hand

Of course, if you’ve read any of my other articles, you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate of buying most items second-hand. Second-hand items cost less, have already off-gassed most toxins, and reduce the need for new production of goods (hence less pollution). You can find great gifts at quality thrift stores, consignment shops, flea markets, antique stores, and second-hand book or record stores. In our area, we even have a couple of second-hand outdoor gear stores. You never know what you’ll find, but you’ll likely find something nice for your loved one.

A white woman with glasses and a backpack shopping in a bookstore, with shelves of books all around, some comic books on the right side, and an open door to the street at back left corner.
Photo by John Michael Thomson on Unsplash.

Buy gifts from non-profits

You can buy an array of gifts from non-profit organizations, which is awesome, because you can support your favorite orgs while gift-giving! Always check Charity Watch or Charity Navigator to verify nonprofits you aren’t sure about.

Orca plush, black and white, on white background.
Orca plush from Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Make something

If you’re crafty or can sew, then there are so many options!

But you don’t have to be super crafty for this category. You can make simple but lovely items using online tutorials.

Or, you can cook or bake something and give it as a gift. Do you have a breadmaker (maybe that was gifted to you, and you never use) that you can make a loaf of rosemary sourdough in for someone? Maybe you have great cake decorating skills (unlike me). Cookies, doughnuts, muffins, scones – the possibilities are endless!

If you are not crafty and don’t cook or bake, perhaps you can put together a coffee basket using locally roasted coffee beans, a mug (from the thrift store!), and a chocolate-covered spoon. Or you could put together a basket of just locally made items! Think outside of the box (um, basket?) on this one and I bet you’ll come up with something fantastic.

A white woman's hands with red nail polish knitting with beige yarn.
Photo by Marina Ermakova on Unsplash.

Experiences

You can gift experiences in the form of a digital gift card or certificate, or by purchasing tickets to an event or place for someone. Maybe Grandma has been wanting to go to the art museum? Buy her tickets and a digital gift card to the adjacent restaurant. Or, maybe you have a friend who wants to go to a concert to see their favorite performer. How about a digital gift card for the movie theater? Think of something the person you are gifting has been wanting to do or go see.

Concert performance in a large theater, lots of seat and lights and people.
Photo by Sean Lee on Unsplash.

Give and Donate

This is the exception to rejecting billionaires and large chain stores. Our family always participates in food drives, Toys for Tots, Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, and Forgotten Child Fund’s Coats for Kids drive. All of those require new items only, and most items they need are only available at large chain stores. But when we give to those who are less fortunate, it’s ok to make those exceptions.

You can also donate money to those types of organizations.

Toys For Tots logo, red train with words on white background.

What About Buy Nothing Day?

This movement falls on Black Friday. I’m all for this movement; however, critics have pointed out that buying nothing for one day a year does not help curb rampant consumerism. We need to buy less permanently.

Reduce

Remember, there are no rules when it comes to gifting. But we all need to save money. We all need to limit waste and reduce our impact on the environment. Every time you don’t buy something new or from across the world, you’re reducing your impact. And we need to stop supporting mega corporations and billionaires because their greed is the opposite of what we’re trying to do during the holidays!

Besides packaging and plastic, don’t forget to use alternatives to Disposable Gift Wrap!

Also, don’t worry about doing everything perfectly. I certainly will still buy a few new things for my son and others, simply because I can’t find them second-hand. You want to limit and reduce your impact, but don’t stress if a few items are brand new from Amazon. It happens.

Happy Holidays! Let me know in the comments if you have ideas about holiday shopping. Thank you for reading. Please share and subscribe!

Footnotes:

  1. Article, “Most Black Friday shoppers bagged their deals online this year, with record spending,” by Emma Bowman, NPR, December 1, 2024. ↩︎
  2. Article, “The Countries With The Most Billionaires 2025,’ Forbes.com, updated July 15, 2015. ↩︎
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Proposition 65 Warnings in Food: Avoid These Chemicals

Grocery store aisle, showing shelves of processed foods in colorful packages on the left and right, with dairy coolers at the back.
Photo by Franki Chamaki on Unsplash.

Food should never have a Proposition 65 warning on it. However, some foods do have these warnings, so we should avoid them. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), “more than 10,000 food additives are allowed for use in food sold in the U.S.” Many of these additives are preservatives, while others are used for color, shine, or stabilization of artificial flavors.1

Following is a list of the types of substances to avoid. Remember, all the substances listed cause cancer, developmental problems in children, or reproductive issues.

Acrylamides

French fries on brown paper with a container of ketchup and parsley sprinkled across.
Photo by Pixzolo Photography on Unsplash.

Acrylamides form in french fries, potato chips, other fried and baked snack foods, roasted asparagus, canned sweet potatoes and pumpkin, canned black olives, roasted nuts, roasted grain-based coffee substitutes, prune juice, breakfast cereals, crackers, some cookies, bread crusts, and toast. It is a chemical formed during cooking or processing at high temperatures (frying, roasting, grilling, baking) since it converts sugars and other naturally occurring substances in these foods to acrylamide. Boiling and steaming foods do not create acrylamides.2

“When you fry or cook potatoes and certain other foods at high temps, a substance called acrylamide forms through a chemical reaction between the sugars and amino acids. An analysis of 32 studies found that among non-smokers, dietary acrylamide consumption was associated with an increase in endometrial and ovarian cancers. It’s what makes potato chips and french fries taste so damn good. But…is it worth the danger?” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences3

Arsenic

Rice, rice cereal, some edible seaweeds, seafood, poultry, and mushrooms can absorb arsenic from the environment. According to the Food and Drug Administration, “arsenic levels are higher in certain soils and rocks and where arsenic-containing pesticides were once used on food crops or from the current use of those pesticides on non-food crops, and pollution from mining, fracking, and coal-fired power plants.”4 The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the main source of arsenic contamination is polluted groundwater used for drinking, crop irrigation, and food preparation.5 Chronic arsenic poisoning often leads to cancer.

BPA (Bisphenol A)

Blue tub of cans of Coca Cola, Diet Coke, and bottled water on ice.
Image by Kenny Holmes from Pixabay.

BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical that manufacturers use in plastic linings in cans (both the type for vegetables and beverages), jar lids, polycarbonate plastic bottles (#7 resin code), and bottle caps. It leaches into food. It is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to developmental and health problems in children (such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)); anxiety and depression; early puberty in girls; diabetes; obesity; and heart disease.6

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)

Plate of charcuteries and cured meats such as salami and prosciutto, with cheese and pickled vegetables. Two silver forks at left.
Image by Gabriele from Pixabay.

BHA is a preservative used in cured and preserved meats and other foods. The substance is also found in certain rubber, plastics, and glues. Both the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer list it as a suspected carcinogen. Further, “the European Union classifies BHA as an endocrine disruptor because of its ability to lower testosterone and thyroid-hormone thyroxine.”7

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

Red box of Cap'n Crunch cereal with the Captain eating a bowl of the cereal on the box design.

BHT is a preservative used in cereals like Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks. It causes hormone disruption and harms the reproductive system. The European Food Safety Authority indicated that it may disrupt endocrine function by causing thyroid changes and affecting development.8

Cadmium

Cadmium is in certain fish, shellfish, organ meats, mushrooms, oats, root crops, and some leafy vegetables grown in cadmium-rich soils.9 A study from 2023 found that age groups 6–24 months and 24–60 months old were the most exposed to cadmium in foods. “American infants and young children of these age groups who regularly consumed rice, spinach, oats, barley, potatoes, and wheat had mean [cadmium] exposures exceeding maximum tolerable intake level was set by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).”10 It can cause renal failure and is a human carcinogen.

Flame Retardants

Flame retardants, particularly PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers), are known carcinogens that can also cause brain defects and hormone interference. These harmful chemicals are found in some farm-raised fish. Additionally, similar chemicals are used in certain ovenproof or microwavable plastic trays and plastic water bottles, which can lead to the leaching of chemicals into food and beverages. Several studies have documented the migration of chemicals from food packaging to food.

Lead

Theo Chocolate bar packaging
Many brands of chocolate, even organic, have high levels of lead and cadmium.

Lead is found in certain dietary supplements, balsamic vinegars, and imported spices such as turmeric and chili. Lead, along with cadmium, is also found in many types of chocolate. Exposure to lead is particularly harmful to children’s development, causing issues with hearing, speech, brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth, and learning and behavioral problems.11

Mercury

Seafood counter, many types of seafood on a counter of ice.
Photo by Jonathan Noack on Unsplash.

Mercury is in many types of fish: king mackerel, shark, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), swordfish, marlin, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, and orange roughy. Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury, but the largest fish accumulate the most in their bodies. Mercury causes neurological and behavioral disorders such as tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches, and cognitive and motor dysfunctions.12 Refer to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch for the safest seafood, linked under Additional Resources.

Phthalates

Phthalates are chemicals in plastics that can leach into food and beverages, especially when heated. They have been found in dairy products, meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables, and fast foods.13 Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to many reproductive, developmental, and endocrine-related health problems.

PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances)

When waterways or environments are contaminated with PFAS, also known as “Forever Chemicals,” they can contaminate the food supply through plants and animals that are grown, raised, or processed in those polluted areas. Additionally, PFAS can migrate into foods through food packaging, certain types of take-out containers, food processing, and Teflon or nonstick cookware. This chemical family (PFAS, PFOA, PFC, etc.) can lead to issues such as altered metabolism and body weight regulation, increased risk of childhood obesity, reduced immune system function, and cancer.14

Potassium Bromate

Photo by Matthew Moloney on Unsplash.

Potassium bromate is added to the flour of many packaged noodles, baked goods, bread, tortillas, and other foods made with flour.15 It is a possible human carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Multiple countries have banned it, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and the European Union – but not the United States. The substance is also used in industrial cleaning agents, bombs, and photo-developing solutions.16

Propyl Parabens

Stack of flour tortillas on a cloth napkin, and a fork and spoon at left.
Image by Martin Diaz from Pixabay.

Propyl parabens are a preservative in processed foods like pastries and tortillas. But they’re also found in batteries, floor cleaner, and glue. When present in food, this chemical acts as an endocrine disruptor and can lead to developmental and reproductive harm.17

Styrene

Take-out in polystyrene containers
Image by albedo20 on Flickr, Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Styrene and benzene from “Styrofoam” polystyrene take-out packaging can leach into food and beverages, especially with hot or reheated foods. Styrene is a known carcinogen and exposure increases the risk of leukemia and lymphoma and is a neurotoxin. Benzene is also a known carcinogen. Avoid take-out containers by bringing your own metal or glass leftover containers.

Synthetic Food Dyes

Caucasian person's hand holding a red bag of Skittles.
Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon on Unsplash.

Manufacturers use synthetic food dyes in many foods and beverages. And especially candy! But these same colorants are also used in household cleaners, wood stains, pesticides, and even blue jeans. While not all food dyes are toxic and not all are on the Proposition 65 list, we know that certain dyes are carcinogenic. Others affect development and cause behavioral difficulties in children.18

Avoid Toxic Ingredients

Avoid the ingredients listed above, as they are the most toxic. If any food has a Proposition 65 warning, either put it back on the shelf or return it. No food should contain that type of warning.

Remember to avoid processed food as much as possible. Try to limit your consumption of seafood and meat, and minimize your use of food packaging. Processed foods include crackers, bread, canned goods, frozen or packaged meals, cereal, etc. In general, the less processed the food, the better it is for you. Always check the ingredients list. If it contains a chemical-sounding word or something you can’t pronounce, it’s best to avoid eating it.

I hope this helps! Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe!

“It’s better to pay the grocer than the doctor. And smarter to trust the farmer than the pharmacist.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences19

Additional Resource:

Website, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Footnotes:

  1. Article, “Common food additives in Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks cereal may harm human health,” ewg.org, October 6, 2021. ↩︎
  2. Page, “Acrylamide,” Proposition 65 website, Updated February 2019. ↩︎
  3. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
  4. Page, “Arsenic in Food,” Food and Drug Administration, accessed September 16, 2024. ↩︎
  5. Page, “Arsenic,” World Health Organization, December 7, 2022. ↩︎
  6. Page, “Bisphenol-A (BPA)/Bisfenol A (el BPA),” Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, accessed September 16, 2024. ↩︎
  7. Article, “Common food additives in Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks cereal may harm human health,” ewg.org, October 6, 2021. ↩︎
  8. Article, “Common food additives in Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks cereal may harm human health,” ewg.org, October 6, 2021. ↩︎
  9. Page, “Foods,” Proposition 65 website, May 2021. ↩︎
  10. Article, “Dietary exposure to cadmium from six common foods in the United States,” Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 178, August 2023. ↩︎
  11. Page, “Lead Exposure Symptoms and Complications,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 10, 2024. ↩︎
  12. Fact Sheet, “Mercury and health,” World Health Organization, March 31, 2017. ↩︎
  13. Page, “Phthalates,” toxicfreefuture.org, accessed September 19, 2024. ↩︎
  14. Page, “Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS),” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, update September 3, 2024. ↩︎
  15. Page, “This cancer-causing chemical may be lurking in your bread,” ewg.org, May 4, 2022. ↩︎
  16. Article, “From baguettes to bombs: Surprising industrial uses of common food chemicals,” ewg.org, June 6, 2024. ↩︎
  17. Article, “From baguettes to bombs: Surprising industrial uses of common food chemicals,” ewg.org, June 6, 2024. ↩︎
  18. Article, “From baguettes to bombs: Surprising industrial uses of common food chemicals,” ewg.org, June 6, 2024.  ↩︎
  19. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎

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Products with Proposition 65 Warnings

Glowing green chemistry bottle with toxic symbols on it, green background.
Image by John Voo on Flickr, Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0).

In my last article, I explained what Proposition 65 is, how it helps, and the controversy around the law. It is shocking to discover that so many products have toxic chemicals that cause reproductive harm, developmental problems, and cancer.

Take your time reading and absorbing the following information. Refer to “What is Proposition 65?” and additional resources listed below.

Athletic Equipment

A woman and a dog sitting in a tent facing and admiring the mountain and lake in the backround.
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash.

Manufacturers use toxic flame retardants in gymnastic equipment and camping tents. Proposition 65 warnings are sometimes on golf clubs, fishing sinkers, and bicycles because brass or other components contain lead.

Baby & Children’s Items

Baby room: baby in bassinet, crib in back, and a dresser, blue wall.
Photo by babywo on Flickr, Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).

Let me be clear: No baby items should ever have Proposition 65 warnings. But since they do, parents and guardians must be extra vigilant. Manufacturers make products made with polyurethane foam, which they often treat with flame retardants. These include some bassinets, booster seats, infant carriers, child safety seats (car seats), nap mats, nursing pillows, playpens, and strollers.

Manufacturers used to use bisphenol A (BPA) in many plastic baby items, such as bottles and nipples, but allegedly use safer ingredients now. Choose glass baby bottles over plastic.

Phthalates, DBP, and DEHP have been found in all brands of diapers. One study found formaldehyde and glyphosate (aka Round-Up) in them. Diapers also contain endocrine disruptors, from the plastics in diapers, meaning they alter human hormone levels.1

Phthalates can also be found in the following products: Plastic lunchboxes, binders, backpacks, storage cases, rainwear, handbags, belts, footwear, and other artificial leather items made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and plastic food packaging materials.2

Infant and children’s clothing can contain chemicals just as adult clothes do.

And though no one knows why, some manufacturers still use lead in some toys and baby bibs.

Build and Grow set from Lowes, projects made for children to put together.
Build and Grow set from Lowes, projects marketed for children to put together. But it has a Proposition 65 warning on the back! Photo by Marie Cullis.
Proposition 65 warning from the back if the Build and Grow set from Lowes.
Photo by Marie Cullis.

Building & Construction Materials

Large two story home under construction, plywood sides (no siding), man standing in open garage bays, blue sky background.
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay.

Formaldehyde is present in insulation materials such as foam and fiberglass insulation, as well as particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard.

Manufacturers use toxic flame retardants in carpeting and carpet padding.

Lead was commonly used in paint before the U.S. banned it in 1978. It was also used in plumbing pipes and fixtures. Be aware if your home is older than 1978.

Manufacturers used asbestos because it was strong and heat resistant (a good insulator). They used it in building materials, insulation, fireproofing materials, brakes, cloth, paper, cement, plastic, and other materials.

Vinyl chloride is used in window blinds and coverings.

Vinyl flooring contains phthalates and other VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Clothing

Mustard yellow shirt with TJ Maxx tags, and a Proposition 65 warning.
Proposition 65 warning on a shirt from T.J. Maxx. Image found on bikeforums.net.

Manufacturers use formaldehyde and toxic flame retardants in some clothing, even children’s clothing. They also sometimes use PFAS/PFOAs in clothing items, as well as bisphenol A (BPA) in sports bras and athletic wear. Those chemicals give clothing properties such as stain-resistant, moisture-wicking, and wrinkle-free. As a rule, steer clear of that type of clothing.

Manufacturers use lead and cadmium in purses, shoes, and other accessories. Any clothing item or accessory with the following features also may have lead, cadmium, or phthalates: Polyurethane products, PVC or vinyl parts, chains, zippers, buttons, snaps, rivets, clasps, screen printed elements, metallic yarns, plastic polymers, metallic coatings, imitation rhinestones, paint and surface coatings, and D-Rings.3

Cookware

Non stick type of frying pan with sunny-side up egg in it, resting on a cutting board with a slice of buttered toast, next to a cup of milk and tomatoes.
Non-stick cookware is not safe and can leach chemicals into your food. Image by StockSnap from Pixabay.

Non-stick cookware, commonly known as Teflon, often contains PFOA, PFAS, and PFOS. The media has labeled these chemicals as “forever chemicals.” Allegedly, the newest versions of non-stick cookware don’t contain PFAS. Manufacturers now use PTFE, which they advertise as safer. However, that’s what those same companies told us for decades about PFAS so it’s difficult to believe them. Please don’t use these! Invest in stainless steel cookware or cast iron pans.

Electrical/Electronic Items

Dollar General packaging for a power surge protector, with the warning label from the back.
Dollar General power surge protector packaging. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Proposition 65 warning label on back.
Proposition 65 warning label on back. Photo by Marie Cullis.

Proposition 65 warnings are found on power cords, surge protectors, and lighting products because their components contain heavy metals including lead, nickel, phthalates in PVC coverings on some wires and cables, and/or other chemicals such as ethylene glycol.

Food

Chip bags in various colors, including Cheetos, Ruffles, Lays, with canned cheese, salsa, and Pringles in the background.
Photo by Ishaq Robin on Unsplash.

This topic warrants its own article, so please read that next!

Furniture

Golden retriever dog on a whiye bed with blankets, a laptop, and sidetable and lamp in background.
Image by Andrei Cioarba from Pixabay.

This is a big one, as most modern furniture contains additives and chemicals. Furniture in your home, for example, can off-gas toxins for a long time, which means you are constantly breathing them in and/or absorbing them through your skin. These chemicals include formaldehyde; flame retardants in upholstered furniture and mattresses, especially those made with polyurethane foam treated with flame retardants; PFOA, PFAS, and PFOS in stain-resistant upholstered furniture; phthalates; and lead in products with imitation leather.

“Our furniture’s upholstery and the lumber beneath it have probably been dosed with fire retardants and other chemicals. That sounded like a good idea when smoking was common, and people had the unhealthy habit of dozing off on the sofa with a lit cigarette. We could’ve just resolved to be more careful. But instead, we clamored for upholstery and even pajamas that had been treated with flame retardant chemicals, without first checking to find out whether those chemicals caused health problems of their own.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences4

If you can afford it, buy furniture and mattresses certified as chemical or toxin-free. You can also purchase furniture secondhand, as it will have already off-gassed some.

Hand Sanitizers

Pump bottle of hand sanitizer with a whoite clapboard background.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Manufacturers sometimes use methanol, a poisonous and flammable liquid, in hand sanitizers to lower production costs, and fail to include it in the list of ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a list of approximately 600 brands of hand sanitizer to avoid because of methanol.5

Household Appliances

Hamilton Beach microwave box, showing microwave and a Proposition 65 warning to the right.
Hamilton Beach microwave with a Proposition 65 warning. Photo by Marie Cullis.

I often don’t know why appliances have this warning, but every microwave and dishwasher we’ve purchased in the last 10 years has had a Proposition 65 warning. Manufacturers use heavy metals, flame retardants, and chemicals in their production. The American Cancer Society recommends asking the manufacturer about the specific product.

The Proposition 65 website indicates that “it is difficult to generalize about chemical exposures from household appliances because each appliance is different.”6

 

Screenshot of a Frigidaire dishwasher and the description with the Proposition 65 warning.
Frigidaire dishwasher
Screenshot of a stainless steel and blac dishwasher with warning.
Description showing Proposition 65 warning, from Lowes.com.

Many people say not to worry about the warnings on appliances. “MOST appliances carry the Prop 65 California warning. This is because the interior of the product may contain things like lead or other heavy metal materials that are necessary for them to work properly. While they are present in the appliance, they are not actually exposed to you while you use the appliance properly. But if you were to use the product in a way that was taking it completely apart or in an improper way, you could potentially be exposed.”7

I remain skeptical.

Household cleaners & solvents

Photo of blue cleaner in a spray bottle with a white roll of paper towels to its left.
Photo by Crystal de Passillé-Chabot on Unsplash.

Chemical-based cleaners and solvents have many toxic ingredients, so know what you use in your home. Better yet, use a homemade cleaner!

“All those ultra-powerful, all purpose cleaning products that promise to kill germs and mold, what else do you think they might be killing?” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences8

Household Items

Gray and white styled livingroom with glass doors that show a landscape in background. Wood floors, 2 couches, area rug, and curtains, lamp on gray ceiling.
Photo by Backbone Visuals on Unsplash.

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in drapery, linens, and upholstery. They also use flame retardants in drapery and some bedding; lead in vinyl items, such as shower curtains and imitation leather; and make memory foam from polyurethane, which off-gasses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that we inhale. That ‘new’ smell from vinyl shower curtains or other household items is the chemicals off-gassing.

“Formaldehyde, benzadine, parathion, and mercury are all part of the manufacturing process of the cotton used in sheets and bedding, and can potentially remain part of the fabric. Blended fabric sheets and other bedding, meaning cotton-polyester mixtures, are still partly petroleum-based with all the toxicity that comes with that. And the cotton for standard-issued sheets was grown with pesticides, meaning that they’re harmful to the environment and not so great for you, either. Wrinkle-free sheets have the same dangers as no-iron clothing does. The resins used in their manufacture contain formaldehyde, which can cause dermatitis, throat irritation, and nausea. But that’s not all…It’s better to live with wrinkled sheets, or learn to iron.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences9

Vinyl gloves, tubing, and garden hoses often contain phthalates and PVC. Don’t let your children drink from the hose!

Medical

Close-up of medical tubing for an IV, clear plastic, green clip.
Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash.

Phthalates from PVC can leach into medical devices and equipment, including blood and intravenous solution bags, tubing for dialysis, feeding tubes, oxygen masks, and surgical gloves.

Paint, adhesives, and varnishes

Open purple paint can with a paintbrush lying on top, dipped in purple paint.
Image by cwizner from Pixabay.

Formaldehyde is in many types of paint, adhesives, and varnishes; methanol is used as a solvent and an ingredient in some as well (sometimes called “methyl alcohol” or “wood alcohol”).10

Phthalates and VOCs exist in inks, pigments, adhesives, sealants, paints, and lacquers. Some artist materials contain these ingredients, lead, and other heavy metals.

Paper Products

Three rolls of white paper towels.

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in some paper products, such as grocery bags and paper towels.11

Personal Care & Beauty Products

Generic beauty products in black, pink, and clear containers.
Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash.

Manufacturers use formaldehyde in hair smoothing, hair straightening products, and nail polish. They use lead in cosmetics and hair dyes. Some beauty and skin care products contain synthetic progesterone. Phthalates are in some personal care products, including nail polishes, perfumes, and other products containing fragrances. In fact, ‘fragrance’ is often a cover for the term phthalates. Look for products rated well in EWG’s Skin Deep database (linked under Additional Resources below). Don’t solely rely on a company’s website to determine the safety of a cosmetic product. Ulta uses the term ‘clean ingredients’ on products rated poorly with EWG for toxicity.

Pharmaceuticals & Dietary Supplements

White pill bottle lying on its side with blue, green, aqua, and white pills spilling out. Yellow background.
Photo by Etactics Inc on Unsplash.

Heavy metals in the soil and water, such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, accumulate in plants used in drugs and supplements. Also, “Benzene, while not in the final product, is used in the manufacture of drugs.”12

Many nitrosamines are carcinogenic, and were found in commonly prescribed drugs for hypertension, heartburn, and type 2 diabetes, and prompted numerous Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls in recent years.13

Smoking

Lit cigarette with orange filter on white background with smoke.
Image by vicky gharat from Pixabay.

Tobacco smoke, such as from cigarettes, is full of chemicals and additives. Formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, lead, acetaldehyde, acrylamide, arsenic, 1,3‑butadiene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, hexavalent chromium, mercury, nickel, nicotine, and styrene.14

“People are exposed to substantially more acrylamide from tobacco smoke than from food.”15

Please note that e-cigarette and vaping aerosols contain Proposition 65 chemicals as well. These include propylene glycol (also used in antifreeze and paint solvents); acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, both carcinogens; acrolein, an herbicide that can cause irreversible lung damage; diacetyl, a chemical linked to lung disease; diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze, heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead, and cadmium; and benzene.16

Stay away from these.

Vehicles

Bird's eye view of a busy city street packed with cars, businesses, and an overpass, with skyscrapers in the background.
Photo by Connor Williams on Unsplash.

Unfortunately, manufacturers use tons of chemicals in our vehicles too. Worse, heat exacerbates chemical off-gassing. There are flame retardants in vehicle seats and child safety seats. Manufacturers use plasticizers containing phthalates in vehicle upholstery and interiors to provide flexibility to plastics.

The fuel to run vehicles is full of chemicals too. Benzene is in gasoline and petroleum products and is released through vehicle emissions. Toluene is also present in petroleum products.

Then there’s engine exhaust, which contains multiple toxic chemicals, including benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ethylbenzene, and 1,3-butadiene. This includes all vehicles, recreational boats, generators, and landscaping equipment (including lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws).17

“More than 40 chemicals listed for cancer are present in diesel engine exhaust.”18

Be Aware

California Proposition 65 Warning

I say ‘Be Aware’ because you might come across products that are not sold in California but contain the same toxic chemicals. Worse, sometimes companies that sell products nationally or internationally might only label products shipped to California, even though all their products contain the same ingredients.

Remember, one product’s small amount of harmful ingredients is not the problem. These toxins surround us in our homes, in our showers, in the workplace, and in our schools. If we encountered a single chemical occasionally, it likely would not pose a significant threat. But we are constantly bombarded with these chemicals in every facet of our lives. This is why Proposition 65 warnings can help us – we can know just how many of our products are exposing us to toxins.

“We live in well-built, completely insulated containers filled with furniture and furnishings made using chemicals that have been proven to be harmful to our health. We keep our houses clean and germ-free with products made from toxic chemicals capable of causing everything from rashes to kidney disease. Your sofa: Phthalates. Your bed sheets: formaldehyde. Your Tupperware containers, your laundry detergent –  bad stuff at every turn.” -Darin Olien, Fatal Conveniences19

I hope this is helpful information. In my next article, I’ll cover Proposition 65 ingredients in food. Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe!

 

Additional Resources:

List, “Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens or Reproductive Toxicants,” Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), State of California, December 29, 2023.

“Fact Sheets,” Proposition 65 website.

Database, EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics database.

Footnotes:

  1. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
  2. Page, “Phthalates,” Proposition 65 website, September 2017. ↩︎
  3. Page, “Distributors’ Guide to Navigating Proposition 65,” International Enviroguard website, October 27, 2021. ↩︎
  4. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
  5. Page, “FDA updates on hand sanitizers consumers should not use,” FDA website, accessed July 28, 2024. ↩︎
  6. Fact Sheet, “Household Appliances,” OEHHA, updated July 2022. ↩︎
  7. Blog Article, “Understand the Proposition 65 California Warning for Your Healthy Home,” healthyhouseontheblock.com, May 14, 2023. ↩︎
  8. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
  9. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎
  10. Page, “Methanol,” Proposition 65 website, July 2024. ↩︎
  11. Page, “Facts About Formaldehyde,” Environmental Protection Agency, Updated March 6, 2024. ↩︎
  12. Page, “Benzene,” Proposition 65 website, Updated May 2021. ↩︎
  13. Article, “Estimated Cancer Risks Associated with Nitrosamine Contamination in Commonly Used Medications,” Li K, Ricker K, Tsai FC, Hsieh CJ, Osborne G, Sun M, Marder ME, Elmore S, Schmitz R, and Sandy MS. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021 Sep 8;18(18):9465. ↩︎
  14. Page, “Tobacco Smoke,” Proposition 65 website, June 2017. ↩︎
  15. Page, “Acrylamide and Cancer Risk,” National Cancer Institute, December 5, 2017. ↩︎
  16. Page, “What’s in an E-Cigarette?” American Lung Association, updated May 31, 2023. ↩︎
  17. Page, “Gasoline Engine Exhaust,” Proposition 65 website, March 2019. ↩︎
  18. Page, “Diesel Engine Exhaust,” Proposition 65 website, Updated July 2024. ↩︎
  19. Book, Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien, Harper, New York, 2023. ↩︎

Posted on

What Is Proposition 65?

Last updated on August 31, 2024.

Proposition 65 warning label in English and Spanish, yellow triangle with exclamation point at left and orange Warning label on right above text.

Almost every time I see a Proposition 65 warning label on a product I’m considering purchasing, I don’t buy it. My spouse often asks, “Is it really a big deal?” I say, yes, it means the product has chemicals known in the State of California to cause cancer.

If they cause cancer in California, they cause cancer everywhere.

We’ve had friends over the years who had lived in California. When we asked about Proposition 65, they shrugged and indicated that California’s just ‘overly cautious.’ I quietly disagreed. I didn’t know enough to debate the matter. So I decided I’d learn about it.

Google terrain map screenshot of California and Nevada.
Courtesy of Google Maps.

“California tends to be the pioneer of protecting consumers from harmful chemicals in everyday products.” – Darin Olein, Fatal Conveniences1

Cancer on the Rise

As I was writing this article, a new study came out indicating that Generation X and Millennials have a higher risk of getting certain types of cancer when compared to earlier generations. “Researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) studied 34 of the most common cancers. They found that cancer incidence rates continued to rise in progressively younger generations in 17 of the cancers, including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers.”2

While that study does not point to a cause, Generation X and Millenials have been exposed to far more chemicals than previous generations. We know many chemicals are linked to cancer,3 so overexposure to those chemicals is an obvious explanation.

Read on to learn how Proposition 65 warnings can help us.

Diamond shaped sign with skull and crossbones, "Poison", all black and white.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay.

What is Proposition 65?

It is a right-to-know law. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which administers the Proposition 65 program, defines it as such: “Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986…requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.” These warnings can be in products, homes, workplaces, or the environment. It also protects the state’s drinking water sources from being contaminated with these chemicals.4

“A Proposition 65 warning is telling you that using a product or entering a location can expose you to a significant amount of a chemical that causes cancer, harmful effects on a developing baby, or other harmful effects on reproductive health.”5 

What else does the legislation do?

Proposition 65 requires California to publish a list of these chemicals which must be updated annually. It includes over 1000 chemicals.6 

For this list, California recognizes the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization), the U.S. National Toxicology Program, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as authorities on carcinogens. The State of California can also make its own determinations about specific substances. As the American Cancer Society notes, “This means that not every chemical on the list has been proven to the worldwide scientific community to actually cause cancer in people.”7 

But, if certain chemicals are suspected of causing cancer in California, that’s good enough for me to avoid them.

The List

More than one thousand chemicals make a very long list. The Proposition 65 website has a page called “Fact Sheets” that lists chemical groups, rather than individual chemicals, making the risks easier to read and understand. However, it is not nearly as comprehensive so I recommend viewing both. I’ve linked them under Additional Resources below.

The list includes toxic substances such as lead, asbestos, and hexavalent chromium; industrial solvents; and toxins like carbon monoxide and tobacco smoke. It even includes BPA (Bisphenol A), a toxic substance used in plastic and metal can linings; as well as Styrene, used in many polystyrene take-out containers we incorrectly but commonly call Styrofoam.

White polystyrene container with food sitting open, against a white background.
Photo by Vitalis Arnoldus on Flickr, Creative commons license (CC BY 2.0).

Proposition 65 Labels

Product labels can be unclear as they only indicate if a product contains chemicals that may cause cancer or reproductive problems. They are required to list one specific chemical in the warning. However, they are not required to list every chemical, their amounts, or how a person may be exposed to them.

“By law, a warning must be given for listed chemicals unless exposure is low enough to pose no significant risk of cancer or is significantly below levels observed to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.”8 

Products Sold in Other States

Products sold outside of California are not required to have a warning label even if they contain those toxic chemicals. “Some companies that sell products all over the United States only label those sent to California, even though all their products contain the same compounds.”9 Online sellers to all states must include warnings on their products, such as those listed on Walmart, Amazon, Lowe’s, and others.

Changes Brought by Proposition 65

Many sources don’t find the Proposition 65 warnings helpful, including Wirecutter, the consumer product review arm of The New York Times. I’ve often found their reviews and recommendations helpful because they independently test and review many products. But even they say Proposition 65 isn’t a big deal to worry about because the labels don’t indicate the amount or methods of exposure. However, they do acknowledge that the law has brought change to a variety of consumer products. “Prop 65 has resulted in changes in product formulation to remove or reduce potentially harmful chemicals, including in things like Wite-out and herbicides. Awareness raised by Prop 65 led Coke to change its use of 4-MEI, a potential carcinogen found in some caramel coloring.”10

The law has successfully raised awareness. Here are some of other the changes it has helped with:

“Proposition 65 has helped reduce or eliminate the use of lead in a wide variety of products, including hair dye, toothpaste, ceramic ware, foil caps on wine bottles, children’s jewelry, and even some types of cookies and candy. Levels…with acrylamide levels in major brands of potato chips and french fries. Proposition 65 has also led to the removal of several chemicals harmful to the developing baby during pregnancy from many nail care products, and has encouraged manufacturers of paint strippers to develop alternatives that do not contain methylene chloride or NMP.”11 

Controversy

Others argue that Proposition 65 is overly cautious, while others believe it is too broad and meaningless. In fact, on a lot of forums, many people completely disregard the warnings. Some say they are on ‘everything in California;’ others indicate that they just don’t think it’s a big deal. One person wrote, “California puts that on literally everything, they’re idiots.” On another forum where someone asked why a golf towel has a Proposition 65 warning, another responded: “We live in an age where it wouldn’t be out of place to put a warning sign on a water bottle saying ‘could cause drowning.’ Don’t think anything of it.”12 

But do think something of it. That golf towel likely has formaldehyde or PFAS in it, which are toxic. Why are harmful chemicals allowed in our products? The reason is that the amount in each item is often limited, making small amounts in products seem acceptable.

But here’s the thing.

If these chemicals were just in our couches or clothes or shampoo, it would be limited exposure. But they are in EVERYTHING. These chemicals are in our food, make-up, skin care products, shampoo, soap, clothing, furniture, carpeting, vinyl flooring, mattresses, bedding, drinking water, household cleaning products, cookware, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, hair dye, take-out containers, drapery, building materials including windows and blinds, plastic food containers and packaging, camping tents, shower curtains, electrical items…etc. We are surrounded by these toxins in our homes, in our showers, in the workplace, and in our schools. If we encountered a single chemical occasionally, it likely would not pose a significant threat.

But we are constantly bombarded with these chemicals in every facet of our lives. We are inundated with these chemicals and cumulatively, it harms us. This raises our chances for reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, and other health issues such as rashes, headaches, and allergies. This is likely why cancer is on the rise.

Graphic illustration of a woman doing yoga, surrounded by bottles of a product, yoga mat, towel, plants, and cup of tea.
Image by Евгения from Pixabay.

Protecting Our Health

We are poisoning ourselves with these toxins. As consumers, we must avoid them whenever possible to protect our health. Let’s refuse to purchase items that contain these harmful chemicals. This collective action will drive companies to make necessary changes.

I hope this information helped! Please check out my next article about products with Proposition 65 warnings. Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe.

 

Additional Resources:

List, “Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens or Reproductive Toxicants,” Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), State of California, December 29, 2023.

“Fact Sheets,” Proposition 65 website.

Article, “Prop 65 was meant to protect residents from toxic water. How did warning stickers end up on everything?” Vox.com, updated October 31, 2019.

Footnotes:

Posted on

The Real Global Price of What You Wear, Part 8

Last updated on February 9, 2025.

Interior of a clothing store, upscale appearing fixtures and lighting with neatly folded and hung clothing.
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay.

We know that the clothing and fashion industries have major flaws that only some companies are trying to rectify. And we, as consumers, have choices as well – one is to simply buy less. Buy secondhand when possible. Take good care of our clothes. By doing those things, we can save money and the environment.

Before wrapping up this series, I wanted to touch on a few subtopics I hadn’t written about yet. Though some topics are big enough to warrant an entire series of their own, I believe them important enough to mention.

The fashion industry releases 10% of total carbon emissions.9

Chemicals

“Fossil fuel chemistry is not only used in fashion, but…it owes its existence to fashion. Chemistry is fashion. Fashion is chemistry. But their shared heritage has been locked away like a shameful family secret.” -Alden Wicker, To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick – and How We Can Fight Back11

Worldwide, we use thousands of chemicals in textile production. Those chemicals can stay in clothes, even after washing. We can absorb those chemicals through our skin or inhale them. While these are small, or even trace amounts, the accumulation of toxins over time causes health problems. This is because there are chemicals in most consumer products. “For example, formaldehyde is not only used in fashion; it’s a common wood preservative found in furniture and is sometimes used to manufacture mattresses, meaning we could be exposed to this chemical not only through our shirts but also while we sit at our desks and sleep.”13 There are also chemicals in all plastic items, including fabric.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Companies treat clothing with formaldehyde to prevent mildew growth and parasites during transit. Clothing labeled ‘wrinkle free,’ ‘stain resistant,’ or ‘water resistant’ are treated with toxic fluorocarbons, also known as PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals.’ These are extremely toxic. Workout clothing and athletic fashion may be treated with the antibacterial chemical triclosan, which is a known endocrine disrupter.14

“How do they determine what chemicals to look for and at what level they’re safe for human health? Hard to say. Rarely are the limits based on robust research. More often they are the result of a few studies, sometimes on rats, sometimes on unfortunate employees at factories who are exposed to the chemical day in and day out. Sometimes, the limits are arbitrary best guesses or just industry ‘best practice.'” -Alden Wicker, To Dye For15

Avoid anti-odor products. They usually contain nanosilver, which is an unregulated substance that may be toxic to humans and the environment. The EPA classifies silver as an environmental hazard, and nanosilver is forty-five times stronger than silver. “There have been studies indicating that nanosilver can be absorbed through the skin, then distributed throughout the body to various organs, where it is toxic.” Additionally, avoid products that have insect deterrents, as that is permethrin spray. This is not necessary unless you’re going somewhere full of mosquitos.16

Here are some disturbing facts about chemicals in the fashion industry:

Worldwide, the fashion industry uses one-quarter of the chemicals produced.17

The World Bank estimates that the fashion industry is responsible for close to 20% of annual industrial water pollution, due to chemicals.18

While cotton is a natural fabric, it is also known as the world’s dirtiest crop. Cotton production requires around 19 million tons of chemicals annually.19 The pesticides alone are toxic enough to be classified as hazardous by the World Health Organization.20

“While the chemical used on a textile might not in itself be dangerous, over time it can break down into its toxic ingredients. So that ingredient – whether it’s formaldehyde in no-iron trousers or an amine in a dyed shirt – might poison garment workers, then contaminate the local community, and then, after a brief sojourn as a harmless performance substance on your fashion, show up again to be breathed in or absorbed by your skin in small amounts, day after day.” -Alden Wicker, To Dye For21

Rack of t-shirts on clear plastic hangers, in order of hues, from yellow to order to red, then green to blue.
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash.

Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)

After a Greenpeace investigation, almost forty global fashion brands, large chemical companies, and textile manufacturers got together to address the harmful chemicals in fashion and fashion sustainability. They formed ZDHC – Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals. Continually moving the industry forward, they published a list of chemicals that members agreed not to use. “That’s good not just for workers and communities where clothing is made but for shoppers, too. If a chemical is not used at all during manufacture, then it probably won’t show up on the final product,” wrote Alden Wicker in To Dye For.22 Today ZDHC has over 320 signatories from across the industry including brands, suppliers, and solution and chemical suppliers.23

“When it comes to chemistry, we’re all connected. And I mean that literally, not in a woo-woo way. What goes in at the front end at these wet processing facilities not only gets dumped out the back of dyehouses, it can end up in our closets, on our skin, and in our washing machines.” -Alden Wicker, To Dye For24

Dyes

Most dyes are synthetic, meaning made from chemicals and fossil fuels. Synthetics are popular because they dye vibrantly and retain their color. However, many of these dyes contain harmful chemicals. Azo dyes, the largest category of dyes, are carcinogenic and are restricted in the state of California and the European Union.25 In addition to the textile and leather industries, manufacturers also use Azo dyes in food, candy, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Other synthetic dyes contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, chromium, copper, and chemicals such as benzene. All get into bodies of water and harm both the environment and human health.26

“There is a joke in China that you can tell the ‘it’ color of the season by looking at the color of the rivers.” -Orsola de Castro, fashion designer and activist27

Stack of 4 pairs of denim blue jeans in different hues, white background.
Photo by Claire Abdo on Unsplash.

Example: Indigo

Indigo is a good example. Almost all of the denim we wear is dyed with synthetic indigo. Synthetic indigo is made of ten chemicals, including petroleum, benzene, cyanide, formaldehyde, etc. All are toxic or harmful to humans. The chemicals are cheaper to buy than paying a farmer to grow crops from which to harvest dyes.28

The Chinese manufacture most synthetic indigo today, and they use a chemical called aniline. It is a likely human carcinogen. “Recent reports indicate that two-thirds of aniline residue winds up in wastewater, lakes, rivers, and other waterways; on workers; and in the air that workers breathe.” The remaining third is embedded in the denim clothing sold in stores.29

Natural Dyes

Natural dyes made from plants, seeds, and fruit don’t pollute water, but many still require the use of chemical mordants (substances that bind the dye to the fabric). They can also use a lot of water. Some companies are developing dyes that use 95% less water, as well as dyes that are recycled by reusing the same water and chemicals over and over again. Another process pulverizes leftover textiles, turning them into pigment powder, and using them as dyes.30

Solution Dyed Products

Synthetic fabrics that are ‘dope dyed,’ meaning solution dyed, means the synthetic fibers are colored by adding dye to the polymer before forming the fiber. It’s also known as spun dyeing. This eliminates the need for disperse dyes. Solution dyed textiles are “more sustainable because they use less water and produce less wastewater, and they are less likely to release dye when you wear them.”31

Shelves of colorful women's shoes with sales tags on them.
Photo by Megan Lee on Unsplash.

Shoes

“When we think about sustainable fashion, we tend to overlook footwear, but the reality is that shoes are undoubtedly one of the most environmentally impactful elements of our wardrobes. Around 25 billion pairs of shoes are made each year – close to 70 million every single day.” -Sophie Benson, Sustainable Wardrobe32

The footwear part of the fashion industry has major environmental impacts. According to Elizabeth L. Cline, “it’s responsible for 700 million tons of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of burning more than 765,000 pounds of coal. Many of the components in our shoes, from synthetic rubber to chrome-tanned leather, don’t biodegrade and are difficult or impossible to recycle; some are made of toxic building blocks. Shoes, even cheap ones, can and should be made with more sustainable, non-toxic, and recyclable or biodegradable materials.”33

The footwear industry uses a lot of plastic for coatings, foam soles, laces, and other components. Vegan leather is usually plastic. “Some shoes comprise 65 parts…the more components and the more different materials used, the more difficult a pair of shoes is to dismantle and recycle…As many as 95% of shoes go to landfill at the end of their life.”34

What You Can Do

Buy higher quality shoes and find a cobbler to repair them as needed.35 This is better for the environment and more economical over time. Cobblers can replace soles, remove scuffs, repair buckles, snaps, zippers, and straps, and replace high-heel tips. Some can even darken the color of leather, stretch leather shoes to a slightly bigger size, and also repair and condition leather jackets and handbags.36

As consumers, we can do our part by buying more durable shoes whenever possible, and taking good care of the shoes we already own.

Recycled Fabric is Available

Some companies are trying to help the textile industry change by recycling textiles and making new cloth from them. Clothing producers can use waste from the scraps from factory floors or the leftovers that brands often burn or shred.37

A company named Evrnu takes old garments and textile production waste with high cotton content and recycles them into new fiber for cloth. Evrnu produces 80% less greenhouse gas emissions and uses 98% less water than virgin cotton. The company eliminates up to one-third of all garment waste, causes zero deforestation, and requires no farming.38

Worn Again Technologies is a company that has developed a chemical process that “converts textiles containing polyester and cotton back into circular materials.” This offsets CO2 emissions and diverts material away from incineration and landfills.39

Reverse Resources “hosts an online marketplace that connects fabric factories and fashion designers who want to use leftover material to make clothes.”40 ECONYL uses nylon from used carpets, old fishing nets, and fabric scraps to recreate nylon items, such as clothing, carpets, and furniture items.41

Other companies, such as Patagonia, are trying to do the right thing by using recycled plastic bottles to make them into fibers for their product lines. But now many companies are mimicking this practice and the less ethical ones are “buying new plastic bottles to make polyester textile fibers that can be called ‘recycled.'”42 As always, be aware of what you are buying.

Store shelves with hanging clothes and folded clothes, mostly fall colors, mannequin on left.
Photo by Burgess Milner on Unsplash.

Demand More From the Corporations

We should all demand that corporations be transparent and honest about their effects on the environment, as well as their sustainability efforts. “Few companies, both outside the fashion world and particularly inside of it, seem particularly eager to share the environmental effects of what they do because usually they are bad.”43

Many companies have a sustainability page on their website. But sometimes these are no more than public relations pages created to sway consumers into thinking the company is doing great things for the environment. “Unfortunately, these pages usually contain little or no specific information about how the company’s products are actually made,” explained Tatiana Schlossberg. They ensure transparency in their supply chain but provide no evidence or explanation of what that means.

“I shouldn’t have to find out which brand of jeans uses the least amount of water; the brands should be more transparent and tell us how much water they use, and then use much less. They are the ones who are making money from our choices, and we should not support those who don’t at least tell us what they’re doing.” -Tatiana Schlossberg, Inconspicuous Consumption44

If you’re not sure about a company’s environmental commitments or have specific questions about how something was made or chemically treated, ask the company via email, contact page, or phone. Elizabeth L. Cline wrote that “a responsible brand will make it easy to get in touch with them and will respond to your queries.”45 Further, they will be clear in their response and you’ll be able to tell if it is a stock response or a true response. If a brand turns out to be unethical, you can decide to shop elsewhere.

Remember the Human Factor

When purchasing new clothes, pause and reflect on the humans who sewed the clothes. Are they being treated well, paid well, and working in a safe environment? These days, with profits at record highs for many industries, companies have zero excuses for not caring about the workers.

Most brands contract out for production, and contractors often subcontract the work. This is where the sweatshops come in. “When caught, the brands often claim they had no idea their ‘approved’ contractors were subcontracting to sweatshops. Subcontracting is endemic in the apparel industry, creating a fractured supply chain in which workers are easily in jeopardy.”46 The right to subcontract is part of the negotiated contract, so it doesn’t seem likely that companies don’t know about the subcontracting.

David Weil, Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, wrote that today, fashion executives “dictate everything they want in their supply chain to an incredible degree…they will send back an order when the dyes aren’t right – they monitor that precisely. But somehow it’s unreasonable to make sure that there is adherence to fire emergency escape rules, and you aren’t operating in a building like Rana Plaza.”47 Companies must do better. I’ve included a list of organizations below that support textile industry laborers.

“Ultimately, brands are responsible for their massive exploitation of garment workers—creating massive profits for only a handful of billionaires and environmental harm to the planet. But added together, people still have significant power to hold these companies accountable as consumers and push for legislation as citizens.”48

Our Role

In the end, we are all responsible. But as consumers, we don’t have to tolerate the poor actions of these huge fast fashion companies. Shop less, buy second-hand, and take care of the clothes you have. If we all commit, we can make a huge difference. Ask questions, demand transparency, and don’t purchase items from companies that don’t provide clear answers. There’s so much clothing in the world that we could clothe everyone and then some. We have so many choices when it comes to clothing!

Last, learn all you can! Knowledge about environmental problems is the key. Thank you for reading, please subscribe and share!

Support the work of these organizations:

Asia Floor Wage Alliance

The Awaj Foundation

Clean Clothes Campaign

Fair Wear Foundation

Fashion Revolution

The Garment Worker Center

The International Labour Organization

Labour Behind the Label

No Sweat

The Or Foundation

Remake

The Solidaridad Network

Workers Rights Consortium

“It’s important that we amplify what garment workers are demanding and support the people who make our clothes by spreading their message and holding brands and the people in charge to account.” -Sophie Benson, Sustainable Wardrobe49

Additional Resources:

Guide to my Clothing and Fashion Industry Series.

bluesign: This organization sets standards for chemical usage in textiles.

Fair Wear Foundation: a non-profit organization whose mission “is to see a world where the garment industry supports workers in realizing their rights to safe, dignified, properly paid employment.”

Article, “10 More Sustainable Sandals Like Birkenstocks You’ll Love,” by Isobella Wolfe, goodonyou.eco, August 24, 2023. I’ve been wearing Birkenstocks for 20 years because they support my feet and back and are just about endlessly repairable. However, Birkenstocks aren’t very environmentally friendly. Article, “How to Recycle Your Used Hiking Shoes,” by Jeff Podmayer, thetrek.co, January 18, 2021.

Footnotes:

Posted on

The Real Global Price of What You Wear, Part 6

Many embroidery floss skeins in rainbow order, making a blank heart shape in the center.
Photo by Karly Santiago on Unsplash.

If you’ve been reading articles from my series about the clothing industry, then you probably want to know more about what you can do about fashion waste. The short answer is that first, you can take good care of the clothes you have by laundering them well and repairing them. Second, stop buying too much clothing – even when it’s a great deal! Try to buy only the pieces you really love and that fit well. Don’t just buy something because you found it on the clearance rack.

Globally, we have to stop the overproduction of clothing and fast fashion.

As Elizabeth L. Cline noted, in America, we spend more money on restaurants than we do on clothes. We don’t see any reason to spend more on fashion because of the availability of cheap clothes. “As any economist will tell you, cheaper prices stimulate consumption. And the current low rate of fashion has spurred a shopping free-for-all, where we are buying and hoarding roughly 20 billion garments per year as a nation…If we could only give up our clothing deals and steals, we might just see that there are far more fortifying, not to mention more flattering, ways of getting dressed.”15

“The most sustainable clothes are the ones already in your closet.” -Katrina Rodabaugh, Make Thrift Mend16

Close-up of a white front-load washing machine, with a hand turning the dial.
Photo by rawpixel.com form PxHere.

Wash Your Clothes Less

Washing our clothes less makes them last much longer. It also reduces the number of microfibers, that is, microscopic pieces of plastic from synthetic clothing, that enter our water systems. You can wear some articles several times before you launder them unless you sweat or spill something on them. You can freshen your clothes without washing them, by hanging them in the bathroom during a shower or hanging them outside. Read “Make Your Clothes Last Longer with Good Laundry Habits” for laundry tips.

“Americans in particular overwash their clothing and rely on machine washing instead of steaming or airing out their clothes, which shortens the life span of what we wear.” -Elizabeth L. Cline, The Concious Closet17 

Tan cardigan with white and yellow flower embroidery near shoulder.
Photo by Alex Baber on Unsplash.

Mending

“When you take the time and effort to repair or improve a garment, you will value it and, more importantly, enjoy wearing it.” -Zoe Edwards, Mend It, Wear It, Love It!18

Mending can extend the life of your clothing and keep them out of the landfill. Learning basic sewing and embroidery is worth the effort because you can save money and protect the environment.

In her book, The Conscious Closet, Elizabeth L. Cline offered an entire chapter on how to perform basic repairs and instructions on several types of stitches without sewing skills or a sewing machine. A few common repairs include missing buttons, seam splits, loose stitching, applying patches, and darning socks. You can find tutorials for all of these in her book. Often you can find tutorials online for free, as well.

Cline also recommended using a fabric shaver to remove pills,19 which are the little bobbles of loose fibers that build up on your clothes. Sophie Benson, author of Sustainable Wardrobe, wrote that you can also reuse an old razor to remove pills. Just avoid pulling them off with your fingers because that can cause damage to the fabric.20

BEAUTURAL Fabric Shaver and Lint Remover, gray, showing the device and two blade attachments.
This is the fabric shaver I use and I’ve been happy with the results. This is not a paid promotion or affiliate product.

Tip: You can even find sewing materials and notions – and even sewing machines – at thrift stores and second-hand shops. You don’t necessarily have to pay retail for those things.

“Wear visibly mended clothes proudly. Visible mending is a great conversation starter, and a visibly mended garment is the perfect uniform for the reluctant activist because it does the heavy lifting for you. Whenever you wear something visibly mended and chat with someone about it, you’re raising awareness that mending is possible, it can be creative and colourful, and caring for our clothes is an important thing to do.” -Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald, Modern Mending21 

Tiny flower embroidery on denim, many colors, needle with light blue thread at center.
Photo by Barbara Krysztofiak on Unsplash.

“In repairing our clothes, we send a message. With each stitch we declare, ‘I value the people who made this, I value the natural resources that went into making it and I value the version of myself that chose it.’ ” -Sophie Benson, Sustainable Wardrobe22

Hire A Tailor

If you don’t want to learn basic sewing or don’t have the time, you can take your items to a tailor. This costs more but still extends the life of the clothing you already own. Sophie Benson wrote, “Both alterations and repairs should very much be seen as part and parcel of the maintenance of our clothes. Any action that keeps your clothes in wearable condition is classed as maintenance, and this includes things like lowering hems, taking in or letting out waistbands, altering silhouettes and replacing linings. You might be surprised what a tailor can do.”23

“Through mending we slow down consumption, extend the life of our garments, and increase resilience and technical skill…As we mend our textiles we work on an individual scale to mend overconsumption, fast fashion, and the unethical treatment of people and the planet.” -Katrina Rodabaugh, Make Thrift Mend24

Reuse Old Clothes

You can reuse clothes for repair projects and even refashion them. You can also just find a way to reuse them around the house. “This is the way humans ‘recycled’ worn clothes for ages. Scrap denim is ideal for mending and patching…Cotton t-shirts make great cleaning cloths and rags. And worn or stained items and scuffed-up shoes are great to wear for yard work or other outdoor activities.”25 

You can cut off the sleeves of a long-sleeved shirt and make a tank top, or make jeans into shorts. This is especially true for children’s clothing! Other clothes can be repurposed into bags, dog toys, or pillows. Use your imagination! The internet abounds with inspirational ideas!

“Slow fashion is…saving up to buy fewer pieces of higher quality and keeping them for longer (or forever!); it’s shopping secondhand; it’s repairing instead of throwing away; it’s brands making to order to reduce waste; it’s local or small batch production; it’s personal style not trends; it’s releases once or twice per year instead of every week. It’s our way out of this mess.” -Sophie Benson, Sustainable Wardrobe26

Wear Clothes Longer

This is the goal: To wear your existing clothing longer.

If you take good care of your clothes through good laundering and simple mending, your clothes will last a lot longer. This will save you money and time, and it is better for the environment. “According to Greenpeace, wearing your clothes for at least two years will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 24 percent.”28 We can all make a big impact when it comes to clothing.

“Mending, repairing, and caring for our clothes is the essence of sustainable fashion.” -Elizabeth L. Cline, The Conscious Closet29 

I hope this helps! Feel free to leave me a comment about your ideas for caring for or repairing clothing. Thank you for reading, please share and subscribe!

 

Additional Resources:

Website of Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald, author of Modern Mending.

Reuse shop, FabScrap, “FABSCRAP diverts thousands of pounds of commercial textile waste from landfills every week. These pre-consumer materials are often in perfect condition.”

Responsibly sourced wool and knitting materials, Peace Fleece store.

Good on You website, evaluates the ethics and sustainability of fashion brands around the world.

See books on Mending in the footnotes or on my Books Page under “The Textile & Clothing Industry.”

Footnotes: