Today, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) sent legal notices to Ross and TJ Maxx after our recent testing found high levels of lead and cadmium in clothing embellishments from the following brands: Orange Kiss (lead and cadmium), Joie (lead and cadmium), and Lizette Collection (lead).
Exposure to lead can cause cancer, reproductive issues, and neurological harm. There is no safe level of lead exposure. Exposure to cadmium has also been found to cause reproductive harm. By using these products, people could be exposed to harmful levels of lead and cadmium.
Since 2009, our testing repeatedly found high levels of lead in leather and faux leather fashion accessories such as handbags, wallets, shoes, and belts sold at off-price retailers. Our “Toxic Fashion” report shows that in 2022 alone, more than 1 in 4 of the fashion accessories we purchased from Ross and Burlington contained high levels of lead.
Ross and other off-price retailers cater to lower-income consumers, and most of their California storefronts are located in communities already facing environmental, health, and other socioeconomic pressures.
Affordability should never come at the expense of people’s health.
Sign our petition and tell Ross to remove toxic chemicals from their supply chains.️ Together, we can tell off-price retailers to commit to basic product safety standards to ensure that what they’re selling does not contain toxic chemicals that can harm our health.
