California Tackles Heavy Metals in Consumer Packaging
This Environment News Service story discusses a new law in California on using heavy metals like cadmium and lead in shipping packages. The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse found that 61% of the packages it tested were over the legal limit of these restricted metals, which can have a severe impact on the environment.
“The laws attempt to prevent toxic heavy metals from entering landfills, waste incinerators, and recycling streams where the contaminants are released, posing a threat to air, soil, and groundwater.”
Nineteen states in addition to California have restrictions on packaging containing metals like cadmium, metal, mercury and hexavalent chromium. For more information on harmful metals like Mercury, visit our Mercury section.
