Incredibly, it is legal in Australia for baby products to be made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) except where they contain DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate), which is a commonly used plasticiser that makes plastics such PVC soft and flexible.
In Australia, there is an interim ban on certain children’s plastic products that contain, or have a component that contains, more than 1 per cent by weight DEHP and are intended for use by children up to and including 36 months of age and can readily be sucked and/or chewed. However, this does not stop the products as they can get around it by labelling the product as not suitable for children under 3 years of age!
Thankfully, there are products on the market that provide a safe and non-toxic alternative to baby toys and soothers that are made of PVC. Our bath toys and natural rubber dummies are made from the Hevea Brasilensis plant and are non-toxic to humans and are safe for babies and young children to play with.
Natural rubber is also biodegradable, and is able to be broken down by microorganisms. Synthetic plastics on the other hand can take over 450 years to decompose.
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Hevea 100% Natural Rubber Duck
We have fallen in love with the Hevea range of natural rubber baby products here at Biome. The Hevea natural rubber duck, bath toys, soothers and teethers re all safe for baby, and practical too.
The Hevea 100% natural rubber duck is made of natural rubber and painted with plant pigment colours that are safe for bath time and teething. Plus, it does not contain PVC, BPA or phthalates. This little duck will soon become your baby's favourite eco companion Named Kawan, which means friendly in Malay. The duck is full of character, soft, malleable, and easy for tiny hands to grasp. Plus the patterned texture on the beak and feet makes it ideal for soothing and massaging irritated gums. There is also no hole in the bottom to make it a mould free bath toy.
This beautiful quality, safe rubber duck is also perfect for baby gifts.
Hevea strives to be a responsible and sustainable company through all of their business practices. Despite facing a range of challenges, they continue look for innovative ways to overcome them to reduce, re-use and even up-cycle where possible. Hevea uses natural rubber that has been tapped in Malaysia. They also work closely with the Malaysian Rubber Board to ensure the rubber industry in Malaysia remains sustainable. Furthermore, all packaging used by Hevea is FSC certified. This is a guarantee that the paper (or timber) comes from a responsibly managed forest, preventing deforestation and degradation.
Campaign to Ban PVC in Products for Children Under 12 Years of Age
Back in 2016, Tracey and Biome, launched a Change.org petition to Help ban Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in products for children under 12 years of age in Australia.
This led to an article in The Courier-Mail highlighting this issue within Australia and raising awareness of our petition.
We haven't had any progress since then in Australia, but we continue to raise awareness of the harm that PVC causes. In Europe there is a much stricter ban on PVC and plasticisers.
However, many small and big toy manufacturers are still making baby and children’s toys from toxic PVC, ignoring the very real hazards to both children and the environment. PVC releases carcinogenic dioxins and other Volatile Organic Compounds in its production, use and disposal, that are hazardous to the health of people of all ages and the health of our planet.
Look after the health of your child and the planet by choosing a natural rubber duck.
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