Disney children's wear often contains toxic chemicals.
Recent tests have revealed that Disney clothes from 19 countries
around the world contained toxic chemicals. These were mostly found
in clothing with plastic prints using PVC(vinyl). Disney is
renowned for the strict conditions it places on the use, appearance
and colours of the characters used on the clothes, but does little
to control the production processes of the clothing manufacturers
it licenses the use of these characters to.
When previously asked about the presence of toxic chemicals,
Disney responded that it's products were in full conformity with
relevant legislation, and took no further action. The fact that
Disney is able to get away with selling clothes containing
polluting chemicals shows that current regulation of chemicals is
ineffective. We are not going to let Disney get away with its
polluting practices quietly.
Mickey
and Minnie Mouse have climbed the UK headquarters of Disney to
unveil a 'Disney: Stop Selling Toxic Pyjamas to Kids' message.
Greenpeace UK climbers dressed as the Disney characters ascended
the building in Hammersmith, west London, to highlight Disney's
irresponsibility. Disney staff arriving for work got a truly
technicolour view of Mickey and Minnie in action and were also
given leaflets explaining the potential damage their employers were
wreaking upon children's health by continuing to sell toxic
children's clothes.
"Given that this Mickey Mouse company has failed to do the right
thing, it's pretty apt that Mickey Mouse himself was here to let
Disney know that it's time to stop polluting children's bodies,"
said our campaigner Mark Strutt.
Read an update from the end of the action.
Despite being told six months ago that independent tests showed
that Disney-branded pyjamas contain toxic chemicals that are
harmful, the company has refused to remove the affected products
from sale.
Update, 21 April - Illegal toxic Disney products withdrawn from sale in Denmark.
It seems Disney, which works so hard to promote its cute cuddly
image, is perfectly happy to allow many parents to unwittingly
clothe their children in products that contain nasty chemicals.
There are many alternatives to these chemicals and other more
responsible companies are leading the way. Leading retailers, like
clothes store H&M, uses alternative printing techniques for
clothes that do not use PVC plastic.
The EU is currently debating much needed new laws to protect
human health and the environment from toxic chemicals.
Unfortunately the chemical industry, with help from certain
governments like the US and Germany, has successfully lobbied for
important parts of the law to be watered down or removed from the
current draft. A key principle called substitution, which would
require companies to use safer alternative to toxic chemicals by
law, has been removed. If we cannot close this loophole companies
like Disney will be at liberty to continue selling clothes
containing chemicals that could harm children's health, even when
safer alternatives exist.
Take Action!
You can help by pressuring
Dirty Disney to come clean and if you live in Europe you can
help counteract the industry lobbying by contacting your local
member of the European parliament to tell them to help protect
your health not industry profits.
Learn more:
More
on Mickey and Minnie at the UK Disney HQ.
Visit The Chemical
Home and find out more about the chemicals contained in your
everday shopping.
Read the
report with full details of the testing of the Disney clothes.
View the
appendix to the report with pictures of the Disney products
that where tested in different countries.