sj breeze - let us know if you get an answer. If enough of us did this, they might start phasing PVC out of use.
Unfortunately, I think PVC is used in many of these plastic type clothes & shoes. I noticed some shoe inserts the other day said PVC on the package & I've seen it on the plastic raincoats & pants before too. It's also really dangerous if it burns because it puts out a very toxic gas, and a lot of furniture with vinyl or plastic parts or fabrics have PVC in them. Here's something scary:
http://www.ecocycle.org/askeco-cycle/2005/0318.cfm"Plastics with the #3 symbol are made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC plastic is used to make hundreds of everyday consumer products, such as cosmetic bottles, pets’ chew toys, construction pipes, plastic packaging, food wrap, babies’ toys and teething rings, vinyl siding, computer parts, and credit cards. Not only are these plastic products not recyclable, they are far more toxic in production, use and disposal than other plastics and for that reason, many communities and businesses are phasing out their use.
According to an alarming new report on the dangers of PVC by the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, PVC production fuses vinyl chloride molecules with toxic metals such as lead and cadmium, which are added as plasticizers and stabilizers. Because of the chemical properties of chlorine, the by-products of PVC production tend to be far more toxic, more persistent in the environment, and more likely to build up in the food supply and the bodies of people than otherwise similar chemicals that do not contain chlorine. PVC is the only major plastic that contains chlorine, so it is unique in the hazards it creates."
And don't try to recycle it:
"Because so many different additives are used to make PVC, recycling the plastic is extremely difficult, and any #3 bottles that make it into the recycling stream can contaminate and ruin a load of #1 bottles. When incinerated, PVC forms dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals that build up in the food chain. When landfilled, PVC poses significant long-term environmental threats as chemical additives can leach into groundwater."
