When was the last time you thought about the materials used in crafting and what they are made of? It can be scary to turn over that bottle of paint, glue or fabric swatch and inspect its material list. It can be like reading a food label and wondering what riboflavin is. Sometimes, there is no helpful label letting you know what is in the material and even if the materials are listed, confusion over the products can ensue.

Of late, I’ve been researching the evils of vinyl or PVC in crafting. Vinyl is a relatively cheap material used in numerous craft projects. It is usually readily labeled but no information about the substance itself is included on these products.

In digging around about PVC I learned that vinyl is a highly toxic substance. It is a material that we should immediately stop using.

You can read about my research on this dangerous substance, it’s toxicity and its alternatives and substitutes, over at Crafting a Green World:

• Crafting Vs. Vinyl (Round 1)
• Crafting Vs. Vinyl (Round 2)
• Crafting Vs. Vinyl (Round 3)

Let us know if you’re switching to an alternative substance and kicking the vinyl habit.