Earth Day 2018! Why You Should Stay Away From PVC Shower Curtains?

                            "Earth Day 2018: End Plastic Pollution" 

Earth Day is a day for celebrating our home planet and raising awareness of things we can do to protect it from harm. But most humans, with the exception of some astronauts, live on this planet throughout the entire year.

For those of us who want to do right by Earth on April 22 and the rest of the year but aren’t sure where to start, here is one small way — in addition to recycling and not wasting water or electricity — to end plastic pollution.

We choose the option below for our readers to take this initial action to End Plastic Pollution on Earth Day and beyond!

For most of us our bathroom is something of a sanctuary. It feels safe. We close the door and can take a shower, brush our teeth and deal with the finer points of our appearance each day.

Unfortunately, many bathrooms are anything but safe.

PVC-containing shower curtains are capable of emitting:-

1. Scores of volatile organic compounds,
2. Phthalates
3. Lead
4. Other potentially harmful materials, into people’s bathrooms.

These chemicals are all the more likely to leach out of the PVC when subjected to hot water. In other words, your early morning shower could result in your breathing in dozens of toxic chemicals.

The group of chemicals we are most familiar with when it comes to any product made from PVC are phthalates. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, and can upset normal hormonal balance in our bodies, stimulate the growth and development of cancers (breast, uterine, prostate), impair fertility, and disrupt pregnancy.

As for the other chemicals leaching out of your shower curtains, while most of us know little about them, their presence is no less worrying.

While non-toxic  shower curtains made of hemp, cotton or linen can be quite pricey, those made from PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate)  can be used over PVC. While they’re not perfect, PEVA and EVA are made from chloride-free vinyl which delivers touchable softness and waterproof function without the smell of traditional PVC vinyl. Both are PVC free, biodegradable, don’t off-gas and are affordable. 

Happy Earth Day and Let's all do our part to end Plastic Pollution!