Lowe’s to halt sale of flooring containing phthalates by end of 2015

Following the lead of rival Home Depot, Mooresville-based Lowe’s said Thursday it will phase out products that contain potentially dangerous chemicals called phthalates by the end of the year.

Lowe’s, the second biggest home improvement retailer in the U.S. behind Home Depot, had faced scrutiny about selling vinyl flooring products that contain the chemicals after consumer groups raised safety concerns.

Home Depot vowed in April it would phase out the products by the end of 2015 and urged other retailers to do the same.

Steve Salazar, corporate communications manager at Lowe’s, said the retailer “continually reviews” its products to make sure they’re safe, and that the company has already made “significant progress” toward being phthalate-free.

“More than 90 percent of the virgin vinyl flooring that’s sold at Lowe’s today is phthalate-free. By the end of 2015, we’ll transition into 100 percent phthalate-free virgin vinyl flooring and 95 percent of all vinyl we purchase will be phthalate-free,” Salazar said.

A recent study from HealthyStuff.org, a research group affiliated with the Ecology Center, found that the majority of vinyl flooring tiles sold at major retailers, including Lowe’s, contain toxic phthalates, which are commonly found in flooring at levels exceeding U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission children’s product standards.

Researchers say the chemicals have been linked to asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, reproductive problems, liver toxicity and cancer.

“Young children can be exposed to chemical dust from flooring when they crawl, and can even ingest the toxins when they put their hands in their mouths. Lowe’s is taking a very important step to minimize children’s exposure to phthalates with this move, and they should be commended,” Tom Vitaglione, senior fellow with NC Child, said in a statement.

Lowe’s has also discontinued sale of other products recently amid safety concerns.

Last week the retailer said it stopped selling a certain type of flooring after an investor alleged the product contained toxic levels of formaldehyde. And following pressure from environmental groups, Lowe’s also said last month it will phase out products that contain certain chemicals that are shown to be harmful to bees.

This story was originally published May 7, 2015 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Lowe’s to halt sale of flooring containing phthalates by end of 2015."