26 - Sunday, June 30, 1996 -

North Shore News

m= i]
Safe disposal of blinds . iiceicse

BY LAYNE CHRISTENSEN
Community Reporter

QUESTIONS of how to
dispose of cheap, plastic
mini-blinds follow a
Health Canada warning
Tuesday.

The window coverings
contain lead, which can
cause brain damage and
behavioral problems in
young children.

Health Canada advised
the removal. of imported
polyvinyl. chloride (PVC)
blinds following testing that
showed lead levels as high
as 1.3%.

“Just put them out with
your regular trash,” advised
GVRD | spokesman Mairi
Wellman.

-. Wellman said on

Wednesday that the B.C.

environment ministry had
determined that the blinds do
not contain high enough lJev-
‘els of lead to be classified as
“special waste.”
But that advice did not sit
well with Helen Spiegelman

of the Recycling Council of ;

B.C. --
It's 'a “classic example of
the buck ‘stopping with: the

community... The manufac-’

“turer should: be’ -account-
able,” ‘Spiegelman told the

: ~“Neither is it recyclable

K organizations in Iran, he has.
dasa ‘Cabinet Member.

A The West Vancouver
Foundation i: is a community:

initiatives i in the fields of
health, recreation, social
services, education, the arts,
cand the environment. Donors
may. support the general fund,
specify an area of interest, or ,
establish anand community
award or scholarship. The

; Foundation also accepts '
contributions which may be

693-3131) to handle

nor easy tu dispose of. she — well as Mexico. inquiries. ;
said of the PVC _ blinds, Until the health warning, The hotline will be
which, if incinerated can they were sold in most chain — staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 8
telease toxic fumes. stores.

But Graham Davidson of
the District of North
Vancouver's public works
department said the blinds
were being accepted for reg-
ular garbage coilection.

“All we ask is that they
are fess than four feet in
length and tied up,” he said.

Alternatively, customers
can return the blinds to the
store where they were pur-
chased and inquire about a
refund.

The Health Canada warn-
ing did not provide a list of
manufacturers’ names, but
product safety officer Dale
Loewen said that as many as
100 overseas manufaciurers
may be involved.

The contaminated blinds
are made in China, Taiwan.
Indonesia, Hong Kong as

: at - great everyday Bread Basket

" prices. So stop in at a McGavin's.
Bread Basket near you. It’s a great
idea if you're low on bread.

Or short on dough.

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