Vinyl Destination
Watch out kid, carcinogenic dioxins from that vinyl bag are already working into your fatty tissues. Photo by Chickpea.
Knowing what I now know about the insidious putridity of polyvinyl chloride (alias vinyl, alias PVC)—that dozens of vinyl fabricators have succumbed to the exceedingly rare angiosarcoma of the liver over the decades, or that if your house catches on fire, you’ll die from the toxic hydrogen chloride fumes released by your vinyl siding in minutes, before the flames even have a chance to reach you—I hork up a hairball every time I see a crafting sister- or brother-in-arms make otherwise wonderful creations with PVC.
Surely these are good, decent folk who are simply ignorant of the momentous health and environmental disaster caused by PVC manufacturing. And that the vinyl industry has consistently lied to the public about the potential hazards related to its products.
We need some kind of Public Service Announcement for artists and crafters, or an organization dedicated to raising awareness in this particular close-knit, wildly creative population, especially in light of the fact that the crafting revolution has stepped up in momentum of late. C.R.A.V.E.: Crafters Revolt Against Vinyl Employment? A.D.V.E.N.T: Artists Denounce Vinyl—Evil, Noxious Textile?
You get the picture. Help me out here. What can we do?
Related addendum: I have a few yards of oilcloth (which is really fabric permeated with vinyl) that I purchased before I was tuned in to these issues. (I had aspirations of sewing knitting-needle cases and granny-chic totes.) Should I have them carted away as hazardous waste by municipal authorities or should I soldier on with my sewing machine and distribute the toxic load by making and giving away wallets and checkbook covers? As I mentioned in my first PVC-related post, you can’t recycle it, burn it, or even stick it in a conventional landfill. Ay dios mio.
This is how Chekhov feels about vinyl:
Brianne said,
May 17, 2006 at 8:43 pm
That’s a tough decision. SInce you already have it, maybe it’s best to use it until facilities exist(if ever) to recycle it, or at least wear the hell out of it. Or what if you made a bunch of bags with them and donated them to someone like your CSA to give out to customers for grocery bags? There has got to be a way to deal with it that doesn’t do more harm then good.
Oh, and I seriously want to make out with your cat.
Kathy said,
May 18, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Woah big tooth!
Yesterday on the bus on the way home I saw a woman with a vinyl bag with that same little bird motif, holding it protectively in her lap and giving people grumpy looks all around her. I think it may have seeped into her brain.
Carolyn said,
May 20, 2006 at 10:52 pm
I wonder how many people would be surprised to hear this about PVC (I admit I was and just did some reading on it), as well as being surprised that many, many people have PVC water pipe coming into their house.
And don’t even get me started on nail polish.
eireann said,
May 23, 2006 at 4:46 pm
wow, thank you for this post. I always learn something important when I come here.
You could make something like shopping bags out of the vinyl, so you’re using it up (and using it!) and it’s not something ‘frivolous’ that might be more likely to get tossed. What have you decided?
The Worsted Witch » The Poison Plastic said,
July 27, 2006 at 2:29 pm
[...] I got it! C.O.V.E.N: Crafters Opposing Vinyl Entirely. Yes? No? Bueller? [...]
Ryan Thompson said,
January 4, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Cute cat. =^o.o^=