 Companies > PVC Company Policies > Johnson & Johnson Letters
June 24, 2004
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.
Information Center
199 Grandview Road
Skillman, New Jersey 08558
Dear Sir or Madam:
The Grassroots Recycling Network and the Northern California Recycling Association are writing to request that you discontinue the use of PVC packaging for your product(s) and instead switch to a more environmentally favorable packaging material. PVC, polyvinyl chloride, poses significant harm to the PET, polyethylene terephthalate, recycling infrastructure and public health.
According to a recent report issued by the GrassRoots Recycling Network, PVC bottles are difficult to recycle, pose significant contamination problems for PET bottle recycling, and offer no performance characteristics that necessitate their use for the packaging of products. There is no equipment available that will remove 100% of PVC from PET bottles, and at PET's melt temperature PVC burns, destroying the surrounding PET and harming the processing equipment. Even very small amounts (100 parts per million) of PVC in PET will reduce its value or make it unusable. PVC bottles and labels threaten the well-developed PET bottle recycling infrastructure and the continued development of bottle-to-bottle PET recycling.
Even when PVC bottles are separated from the post-consumer bottle stream, marketing
them is a challenge due to their low value. They are costly to separate because PVC bottles make up only 2% of the bottles manufactured in the United States, which makes accumulating enough material to create a truckload quantity very difficult. Yet that same 2% of the bottle stream creates major problems for PET recyclers.
Also, a recent report from Tufts University sites that vinyl chloride, the building block of PVC resin, is classified by the National Toxicology Program as well as other U.S. and international agencies as “known to be a human carcinogen.” PVC production has been found to expose workers and surrounding communities to vinyl chloride and several studies have documented links between working in vinyl chloride production facilities and the increased likelihood of developing diseases including angiosarcoma of the liver, a rare form of liver cancer, and other non-cancer disorders.
Furthermore, additives mixed with PVC resins such as stabilizers, plasticizers, and fillers can leach out of, or volatize from, a PVC product during its useful life. Phthalates (plasticizers) may pose hazards, including the development of respiratory problems in children. Stabilizers used in PVC, including lead and other heavy metals, can leach out of PVC products.
The GrassRoots Recycling Network and the Northern California Recycling Association look forward to your response. We would like to promote your company as one that recognizes its responsibility to consumers by considering the recyclability and public health implications of the materials used to package your products. We will be contacting you by July 24, 2004 to learn how your company plans to phase out PVC packaging.
Sincerely,
Toral Jha, Project Coordinator
Heidi Melander, President
GrassRoots Recycling Network Northern California Recycling Association
October and November 2004 Correspondence with Johnson &
Johnson
1) November 9, 2004- Email from
Iris Grossman, Communications Manager, Johnson
& Johnson, [email protected]
to Anne Rabe, BE SAFE, Center for Health,
Environment and Justice, and Resa Dimino,
GrassRoots Recycling
Network
Our Director of Packaging, Clifford Pires, had
been contacted by the GrassRoots Recycling
Network regarding PVC packaging. I am
responding on his
behalf.
Please note that Johnson & Johnson has a
strong commitment to environmental stewardship
During our product development process, we
identify opportunities to minimize the amount
of packaging used and maximize recyclability
-- while still ensuring our packages meet
quality and safety specifications. This sense
of responsibility to reduce our environmental
footprint has resulted in many recycling and
packaging successes over the past 15
years.
PVC has long been used in packaging for drugs,
medical devices and cosmetics because it
provides moisture-, gas- and flavor-barrier
properties required in many applications and
because it has desirable physical
characteristics. Recently, concerns have been
raised regarding the recyclability of PVC
packaging. Johnson & Johnson operating
companies are aware of these concerns and are
looking into the matter. Due to the concerns
over the recyclability of PVC packaging, our
Consumer Products Company continues to reduce
its use of this packaging We are actively
engaged with suppliers to identify
alternatives to replace our existing PVC
packaging and to avoid PVC use in future
products. We can provide you with updates as
we progress on our Consumer Products Company's
goal of eliminating the use of PVC in our
primary packaging.
Thank you for your interest in this matter,
and I hope you find this information
helpful.
Iris Grossman
Communications
Manager
Johnson & Johnson Consumer
Companies
2) November 8, 2004- Email Letter from
Toral Jha, GrassRoots Recycling Network to
Clifford Pires, Director of Packaging, Johnson
& Johnson, [email protected]
Mr. Pires,
I am writing as a follow-up to my
October 1,
2004
e-mail to you. The
GrassRoots Recycling Network and its partners look
forward to your
response.
Unfortunately I am no longer the contact for the
GrassRoots Recycling Network, however.
Please direct your
correspondence regarding this issue to the
following individuals:
Resa Dimino, GrassRoots Recycling Network, [email protected]
Anne Rabe, Center for Health, Environment and
Justice, [email protected]
Thank you,
Toral
Jha
Program Director
GrassRoots Recycling Network
Tel: 608-255-4800 x102
http://www.grrn.org
3) October 1, 2004 e-mail from Toral Jha,
GRRN to Clifford Pires, Director of Packaging,
Johnson & Johnson
From: Toral
Jha
[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent
: Friday, October 01,
2004
12:34
PM
To:
'
Clifford
Pires
'
Subject: Johnson and Johnson and PVC
Packaging
Dear Clifford,
My name is
Toral
Jha
. I am the Program
Director for the GrassRoots Recycling Network, a
national advocacy organization pushing corporate
practice and public policy beyond recycling
towards Zero Waste reducing waste by limiting
resource extraction and improving product
design. On June 24 of
this year, the GrassRoots Recycling Network and
the Northern California Recycling Association
issued the attached letter to Johnson and Johnson
asking the company to state its plans to phase out
the use PVC packaging.
We received a letter back from Stacy Fleury of
Johnson & Johnson stating the
following:
"Thank you for contacting the Johnson and
Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. Information
Center. It is always
important to hear from our consumers, and we
appreciate the time you have take to contact
us. We are very aware
of our responsibilities as a corporate citizen in
addressing the environmental issues which concern
us all. There is a
corporate wide task force currently exploring and
assessing innovative technologies and alternative
materials appropriate to our products and the
environment. The
safety and efficacy of Johnson and Johnson
Products remains our top priority and will not be
compromised. However,
we are actively involved in packaging changes
which include the elimination of many
shipping/display cartons, and an increased use of
recycled paperboard for carious
products. Our
environmentally conscious packaging continues to
be primary focus of our Research and Development,
Package Engineering, Operations and Marketing
Personnel. Again,
thank you for your interest in our company. Please
call our toll-free number should you have any
comments or questions in the
future. Also, be sure
to visit our websites for further information on
our products."
John DelFausse, Aveda, gave me your name as a good
contact to discuss this issue more
closely. I am hoping
that you can answer a few questions for me
regarding J&J's use of PVC
packaging.
1)
Which products are currently packaged in
PVC? From research
that we have conducted several Clean and Clear
face wash, body wash, and make-up removing
cleansers are currently packaged in
PVC. We have also
found that several Neutrogena facial cleansers and
acne washes are also packaged in the
material. We have also
found a kids 'Foam Blaster' hand/face wash that
is labeled with a #1 as well as PVC.
2)
Why
does Johnson & Johnson continue to package in
this material? Do you
cite technical reasons, financial reasons, or
both?
3)
Is
Johnson & Johnson ready to phase out PVC in
all of its
products?
4)
Does
Johnson & Johnson have an existing policy
stating a commitment and sunset date for making
the transition away from the use of
PVC? And If not, why
not?
I look forward to receiving your responses
to the above questions and thank you in advance
for your time on this very important
matter.
Sincerely,
Toral Jha
Program Director
GrassRoots Recycling Network
210 N. Bassett Street, Suite 200
Madison
,
WI
53703
Tel: 608-255-4800 x102
Fax: 608-255-4808
http://www.grrn.org
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