A child playing with rubber ducks.
Greenpeace has found high levels of phthalates banned by the EU and the US in children’s products and toys made from vinyl plastic (also called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) on the Chinese market. Phthalates are plastic softeners widely added to PVC materials and are linked to hormone malfunctions and toxicity to the reproductive system. The EU and the US have banned six types of phthalates in children’s products and toys, but China currently lacks comparable regulations.