International Coatings, Cerritos, CA, announced plans to replace by the end of the year any plasticizers in its ink that may not comply with the new wave of legislation and regulations concerning phthalates in children’s articles. The federal government and several states have enacted legislation that will restrict the use of six phthalate plasticizers in children’s toys and child-care articles. International Coatings says it is not clear whether and how these laws apply to children’s clothing printed with plastisol textile inks that contain phthalates.
“Most of International Coatings’ ink line has been ‘phthalate-compliant’ for some time,” says Stephen Kahane, president of International Coatings. “But we’ve decided that the most prudent approach now is to remove any of the remaining proposed restricted phthalate plasticizers from our inks, whether their use falls under the new laws or not. That way, any uncertainty regarding compliance and safety is removed. Printers can continue to use any International Coatings ink products without worry.”