Hazardous Chemicals in Shoes

The shoe industry is one of the most globalised industries in the world. Shoes, and in particular plastic shoes that have been analysed in this study, have become a throwaway item for many people the world over.

Many different types of chemical that can cause health and environmental problems are used in the manufacture of plastic shoes. These chemicals can cause harm to the workers who handle the chemicals or the shoes. They can harm the environment as the shoes wear out and when they are discarded.

Hazardous for both factory workers and consumers

The chemicals can also cause health problems for the people who wear the shoes. However, a person who buys a pair of shoes seldom knows which chemicals they contain or where the shoes were made..

This study has been conducted in collaboration with six of the SSNC’s co-operation organisations in the Philippines, India, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Indonesia. Each organisation has purchased shoes and then analysed them with regard to a number of chemicals that can cause environmental problems in the country where they are produced or where the shoes are worn and discarded. The chemicals have been selected as they can also cause health problems for the people working in the factories or for those who buy and
wear the shoes.

– The environmental toxins in the shoes can spread to people and to the environment as the shoes become worn. There is also a considerable risk of them affecting the people involved in the manufacture of the shoes, says Mikael Karlsson, President of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

Contains chemicals harmful to reproductive systems

The analyses showed that 17 of the 27 shoes that were tested contained one or more of the tested phthalates. The phthalate DEHP, which is harmful to reproductive systems, was present in various amounts in all 17 of these products.

The highest content, 23.2%, was found in a pair of flip-flops from South Africa. DEHP is one of seven prioritised substances on the EU’s candidate list for particularly harmful substances, known as SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern). The European Commission may decide that it will be necessary to obtain authorisation in order to use these substances in specific
cases.

The analyses that have been conducted also show that several shoes contain PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbons), tin organic compounds and heavy metals. Two pairs of shoes contained mercury and several contained lead and cadmium. The study shows that the content of chemicals is not linked to where the shoes are manufactured or purchased. Neither is it possible to draw any conclusions regarding the chemical content based on the price of the product.

A tighter legislation is needed

Through this report, the SSNC and the participating organisations aim to demonstrate the environmental and health problems that are related to a normal consumer product. Based on the results, we also want to challenge consumers to ask for products that do not contain chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment, and to challenge the shoe industry to accept its share of responsibility for people’s health and for our shared environment by ensuring that shoes are produced without containing hazardous substances.

The results in the report also indicate the need for tighter legislation at an international level, an EU level and a domestic level, leading to the phasing out of hazardous chemicals in products.

– Consumers simply do not know that there are harmful substances in plastic shoes, and the companies do not take responsibility for controlling the products. It seems clear that authorities need to have more resources from the government in order to examine the presence of chemicals in common consumer products, says SSNC President Mikael Karlsson.