can you say "phthalates"?

not to be a downer, but we at speesees just need to get this off our chests, if we can say it properly. "phthalates" is a word that's been thrown around lately because of its relationship to polyvinyl chloride (pvc/vinyl), water bottles & children's toys. here's the scoop:

HealthyToys.org determined products were made with PVC plastic by measuring their chlorine content. PVC is a problematic plastic from an environmental health perspective because it creates major hazards throughout its life cycle and contains additives that can be dangerous to human health. Phthalates are chemicals that are very commonly added to PVC to make it soft and flexible, however, they can leach out of the plastic. Exposure to phthalates is linked to birth defects of the genitals and altered levels of reproductive hormones in baby boys. There are currently no federal regulations limiting phthalates in children's products. California recently passed a ban of several phthalates in children's products, and Europe has restricted the use of phthalates in children's toys and child care items. 47% percent of toys (excluding jewelry) tested by HealthyToys.org were PVC.

ick. as much as it may feel nice for a little one to sink his/her gums into a soft piece of plastic, the phthalates may be sinking into their system. not good. is there a list of ingredients on plastic toys? the nice thing about organic cotton toys is that we know they are au naturale & little speesees can gnaw away...phthafely. safely.