Local home improvement chain Testrite Retail is selling more products containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) than its international competitors in the Taiwanese market, environmental advocates said yesterday, urging the company to fulfill its corporate social responsibility pledge and the government to tighten regulations on PVC products.
Environmental group Taiwan Watch Institute found that Testrite outlets offered 161 products containing PVC, including mats, faucets and towel racks, as well as products advertised as environmentally friendly building materials, the group told an online news conference.
In comparison, furniture giant IKEA sells no products containing PVC in Taiwan, the group said, adding that the Swedish firm’s labeling identifies products’ contents.
The production and processing of PVC use many toxic substances, including substances that might increase the risk of cancer, such as chlorine, dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, lead and cadmium, the group said.
The disposal of PVC products also poses risks, such as the release of dioxins during incineration, it added.
As demand for household products has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Testrite posting annual revenue growth of 10.7 percent in the first quarter, the retail chain should fulfill its corporate social responsibility pledge, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs should demand that Testrite comply with the Commodity Labeling Act (商品標示法) and comprehensively list the materials used in its products, she said, adding that the firm’s labeling, which does not distinguish different kinds of plastic, is too vague.
The ministry should further draft legislation to more rigorously regulate PVC, Lin said.
The Environmental Protection Administration should inspect stores to assess the amount of goods Taiwanese use daily that contain PVC, Lin said.
The agency should implement a tax rebate for companies that reduce the number of products they offer containing PVC, she said, adding that this would help reduce pollution.
The Ministry of the Interior should draft regulations that ban the use of PVC in “green” buildings, Lin said.
In response, Testrite Retail said that it has been seeking alternative materials, such as polyurethane, for making furniture, although some of its products still contain PVC.
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