Ecology Center

Concerns Grow that PetroChemical-Based Plastics in Cars Leach Toxic Chemicals in Landfills, Expose Passengers to Potentially Dangerous Fumes

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Press Release

(Ann Arbor, Michigan) U.S. automakers received nearly failing grades in the use of recyclable, safe plastics in vehicles, according to a report released today by the Michigan-based Ecology Center, in collaboration with Clean Production Action. The six top-selling automakers in the U.S. were graded on their commitment to using environmentally friendly plastics.

Since 1960, the percent of plastics in vehicles by weight has increased from 0.6 percent to 7.5 percent in 2003, accounting for the use of 4.3 billions pounds of plastic per year in the U.S. alone. The report finds that all of the automakers still rely heavily on petrochemical-based plastics, many of which release toxic chemicals during production, vehicle usage and disposal, and are difficult to recycle. PVC is a prime example of an unsustainable plastic. Found in products ranging from dashboards to exterior trim, PVC is made from fossil fuels and chlorine, contains toxic additives, is difficult to recycle, and creates dioxins, furans and hydrochloric acid when burned. Chemical additives called phthalates can off-gas from PVC in car interiors into the air passengers breathe.

"Unfortunately plastics used in cars today can emit toxic chemicals that are bad for public health and the environment," said lead report author Mark Rossi (PhD, MIT) Research Director of Clean Production Action. "The good news is that safer, less toxic plastics are readily available. American automakers just need use them."

The report graded the six top selling automakers in the U.S.-DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota-on 17 environmental topics related to plastics. Sustainable plastics are defined as those that don't contain toxic chemicals, are recyclable, and are manufactured from renewable raw materials. Toyota led the group with a C, while Ford, Daimler Chrysler and General Motors were among the lowest scoring companies, all receiving D's.

"Toyota is the clear leader in integrating safer and environmentally friendly plastics into their automobiles, and has implemented many practices that U.S. automakers can learn from," said Charles Griffith, Auto Project Director at the Ecology Center. "However, the fact that the top performer, Toyota, received a C grade means there is still a lot of room for improvement across the board."

The report also found that some foreign automakers are faring better in the area of sustainable plastics because the U.S. government lags behind Japan and the European Union in terms of recycling requirements and the elimination of toxic chemicals. GM even acknowledges that it focuses more on sustainable plastics through its European subsidiaries, such as Opel and Vauxhall.

"There's a double standard. Why should a GM car in Europe have safer, more environmentally friendly plastic than one in the US?" asked Griffith. "Automakers need to provide environmentally safe plastics to consumers equally across the globe."

While the report found that progress toward sustainable plastics is slow overall, it also found positive examples of change in the industry. Toyota is making the most progress towards a comprehensive sustainable plastics program. It has developed one plastic made from renewable materials and another that can be "close-loop" recycled into the same product again. Toyota has also set clear, comprehensive and measurable goals for sustainable plastics, and has committed to reducing its use of PVC.

The report offers recommendations to automakers to achieve high use of sustainable plastics, including:

A number of regional and national environmental groups joined the Ecology Center and Clean Production Action in calling on auto companies to endorse the report's recommendations and commit to phase-out their use of PVC.

The Ecology Center is a regional nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that works for healthy communities, clean products, and sustainable production.

Clean Production Action partners with environmental organizations, public health organizations, labor unions and community groups around the world to develop and build technical support for clean production policies.

U.S. Automakers Receive Near Failing Grades on the Use of Environmentally Safe Plastics in Cars