Toys Containing Banned Plastics Flooding the Market

In February, toys containing now-banned phthalates, chemical additives that render hard plastics flexible, will be illegal to sell, and that has some retailers trying to liquidate their inventories--just in time for the holidays. "Three types of phthalates will be banned from children's toys and child-care products starting Feb. 10, while three other types of phthalates will be temporarily prohibited from child-care products and toys that can be placed in a child's mouth", reports the Wall Street Journal. Consumer advocates complain that the law has ended up allowing a grace period that permits toy makers to sell off the soon-to-be banned toys, rather than forcing them to dispose of them. Read more.