New Report Shows Shockingly High Levels of Lead in Fashion Accessories Sold at Off-Price Retailers

10 years of testing handbags, wallets, shoes, and belts reveals persistent problem at stores Ross and Burlington
Read the Full Report Here

Read CEH’s groundbreaking report spanning 13 years detailing a systemic toxics problem that remains ongoing at off-price retailers Ross and Burlington. Starting in 2009, CEH repeatedly found high levels of toxic lead in leather and faux leather fashion accessories including handbags, wallets, shoes, and belts sold at off-price retailers. In 2022 alone, more than 25 percent of the fashion accessories purchased from Ross and Burlington and tested by CEH contained elevated lead levels above 0.03% and up to 1.7%.

Over the last decade, CEH has notified retailers Burlington, Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, Ross, and TJ Maxx nearly 500 times that they were selling specific fashion accessories containing elevated levels of lead. Ross and Burlington accounted for over 300 of those notices.

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Key Facts:

1. In 2022 alone, more than 25 percent of the fashion accessories purchased from Ross and Burlington and tested by CEH contained elevated lead levels above 0.03% and up to 1.7%.

2. Exposure to lead can cause cancer, reproductive issues, and neurological harm. There is no safe level of lead exposure.

3. Ross and Burlington cater to lower-income consumers, and most of their California storefronts are located in communities already facing environmental, health, and other socioeconomic pressures.

Common placement of Proposition 65 warnings on products:

In CEH’s investigation of  lead in fashion accessories over the last decade, we observed trends among fashion accessories that contained lead:

  1. We found more faux-leather fashion accessories that contained lead than genuine leather fashion accessories that contained lead.
  2. We more frequently observed lead in  belts sold attached to clothes as a set than in belts sold as stand-alone products.
  3. In 2022, we observed that over half of lead-containing fashion accessories we purchased at Ross and Burlington had Proposition 65 warnings. Some of these warnings were hidden in small print, on tags inside of handbags, and on the bottom of shoes.
  4. In 2022, we observed that the interior lining of faux-leather handbags and wallets more frequently contained lead than the exterior lining.

Using CEH’s sampling experience to inform your shopping for fashion accessories at these stores can potentially prevent your risk of exposure.