Rainwear Central Rainwear Forum

It seems that every so often, when I am hunting for a new PVC raincoat, there is a warning: Not for sale in California. Has California banned PVC products? It is likely... California is always the environmental police state of the USA. It is because of California's clean air act, that we now have cleaner running cars.... But raincoats, too?

There has been some controversy about PVC, (or Polyvinyl Chloride, or Vinyl- all the same.) in the environmental press the past 5 or 6 years. The smell of a PVC raincoat is heaven to most of us here. But, what causes that smell is actually the out gassing of the plasticizer. PVC in it's raw state is rigid -even more so than PVC piping found in newer homes. There are about 7 different plasticizers that can be used to make soft PVC film... This is why one raincoat may smell a little different from another. One of these plasticizers have been implicated in altering sexual hormones in rats, and diabetes. The evidence is thin, and not much of it. Clearly, the rat study should be replicated.

There is also a very real danger of Chlorine gas being released when vinyl is burned. But, I've not heard of anyone dying, or developing a chronic disease from it...
I have seen some evidence as well in my own state of Massachusetts- You can't find a vinyl bib for baby at Babies R US, Bed Bath and Beyond is featuring shower curtains make of PEVA -and so is Gerber: They are making plastic pants out of PEVA as well.

Do I have my head in the sand? I hope this stuff is environmental overboarding...

Interesting dilemma- Do our raincoats make us sick??

I hate PEVA, it's so thin & flimsy! Those crappy cheap ponchos you can buy at grocery stores are made of PEVA. They suck.

The rat study, however, seems to be onto something. It makes perfect sense that something in the plasticizer is affecting our own sexual hormones.

Thankfully I live in Scotland where such overboard extremes of enviromental madness don't seem to happen as often, but I think the lack of non industrial PVC rainwear is down to cost of production, I'm not an expert but I'm guessing PEVA is cheaper than PVC. As for the study with rats sexual hormones, I think I must have been born a rodent as there is nothing more arousing than opening a parcel with some new PVC rainwear in it and catching that first whiff of fresh plastic, works every time!

Often, this "not for sale to xxx" is due to expensive certificates in that region. If you sell uncertified products there, you risk fines or being sued by someone who thinks, he took damage from the product. Americans even put a stamp "might contain traces of peanuts" onto peanut butter!

In Europe some countries are also quite strict about using certain type of phtalates. The manufacturers may apply for Oeko-Tex certificates for their fabrics and products. In Germany a couple of years ago testing of childrens rainwear resulted in a scandal because pretty high concentrations of phtalates were found in them. E.g. in environmentally aware Sweden hardly any parent buys PVC raincoats, bib pants or especially waterproof mittens to their children because the children put them into mouth and they might get a pikogram of phtalate. These garments are either PU coated or somekind of expensive Goretex ( ) nowadys. It is however possible to make soft PVC even totally without phtalates, the German BASF has a solution for that.

I wonder if you still can get the good old PVC sauna suits or the plastic baby pants (for adult babies...) in California? Well, you mentioned Gerber's PU pants, so that's the future for American babies.

China gives a shit about quality. Most cheap rainwear comes today from China. If the buyer is not environmentally aware, they can deliver anything.

To my knowledge the test results with certain phtalates influence especially on male sperm quality are hard to deny. What doses are going to be detrimental, I don't know, and cannot argue that interests me anymore, since I've worn PVC pants, sauna suits etc next to skin from my early teenage. Luckily enough I've made my children a long time ago, so what ever my passion has caused to my tadpoles, I don't care very much anymore.

I wonder if any of this is also due to the rise in oil prices over the years where most plastics are derived from and so is cheaper to make from other materials.

Unfortunately more people all over the world are using this 'Save the planet' line to mean anything they want it to - normally higher production costs and taxes.
What a pity some Chinese or Korean fashion company does'nt get hold of patterns and designs for the Rukka style PVC raincoats of a few years ago !

hardly ever rains anyway in California does it? I know a friend moved to LA and he claims its a very pleasant climate. To the best of my knowledge rainwear doesnt appeal to him as when he lived round here he preferred getting wet walking home to borrowing one of my raincoats when it rained as he was going home