Purchasing to protect our future

PBTs, or persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals, are everywhere in our daily lives and they can wreak havoc on our bodies. These chemicals are hidden in the seemingly innocuous products that we use everyday–batteries, nail polish, fabrics, and even children’s toys. Upon their disposal, these products breakdown and release their chemical components. Once PBTs enter the environment, they begin their journey up the food chain and into our bodies. Developed for their stability, their persistence ensures their lasting effect on human health. Additionally, instead of passing through the body like other unwanted substances, PBTS are readily stored in fat tissues where they accumulate and become more concentrated.

In response, many cities across New York State are changing their purchasing habits to ensure the protection of our families, neighborhoods, cities and natural environments. Buying green, nontoxic products is one simple way to promote a greener future for everybody. Citizens’ Environmental Coalition is working with municipal governments to draft and implement PBT-free purchasing policies.

Why New York?
The Great Lakes and the Hudson River Valley are particularly vulnerable to contamination. The extraordinary size of these water bodies allows more pollutants to enter the water, and a popular sport fishing industry delivers the accumulated toxins to the dinner table. The EPA has identified PBTs as priority chemicals for reduction, and has over 100 fish advisories for New York State as a result of PBT contamination. PBTs are especially dangerous to children whose lower body weight results in a higher body burden. The toxins can also be passed to babies through the womb or breast milk. Mercury and lead are two PBTs with well-documented adverse effects on the nervous and reproductive systems.  In its 2002 study A Multimedia Strategy for Addressing Priority Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants, the EPA has recognized ”[t]he toxic effects of PBTs, especially dioxins, mercury, and PCBs, [including] neurological, reproductive, developmental, and cancer effects in humans and other species, and these health and environmental impacts make it imperative…to aim for further reductions in PBT risks.”

Keeping PBTs out of the waste stream is the surest method for keeping them out of our bodies. The Albany Common Council is currently considering a PBT-free purchasing policy and many other cities across New York already have legislation in place that limits or bans purchasing products that release PBTs during their manufacture, use, or disposal. PBT elimination or reduction laws, policies and/or initiatives exist in the cities of Buffalo, New York City, Hudson, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland, as well as state-wide policies in Washington, Oregon, Maine, and New Hampshire.

Pollution continues because most environmental efforts are responsive, instead of preventive. Any action that we can take today to better our tomorrow is a worthy action. On the site we’ve included some information on cities currently drafting PBT-free resolutions, and what other cities have already done. For any additional information, or to show your support for PBT legislation in New York, contact CEC and join the campaign!

Albany, New Yorks Draft Resolution Regarding PBTs

Albany PBT Press Release

NYC epp manual – An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Manual used by New York City government. It demonstrates ideas that “optimize purchasing decisions in terms of environmental performance, product performance and cost…” This is a great resource for companies thinking of implementing environmentally preferable purchasing ideas in their offices.

Epp Resources Page – A list of resources compiled by Inform Inc. of various environmentally responsible vendors, guides and products.

Office Supplies – A list of common products containing PBTs and some available alternatives

EPA paper on PBTs – “EPA drafted the PBT Strategy because the health and environmental impacts of certain PBTs, many identified as problems in the 1970's and 1980's, still remain above acceptable levels of concern in the United States, especially for fetuses, children, and people relying on subsistence fishing.  The toxic effects of PBTs, especially dioxins, mercury, and PCBs, include neurological, reproductive, developmental, and cancer effects in humans and other species, and these health and environmental impacts make it imperative for EPA to aim for further reductions in PBT risks.”