Hickory Springs, a supplier of components to the home furnishings and transportation industries, said it is eliminating TDCPP fire retardant from its foam formulations and production facilities.
"The decision to eliminate TDCPP from our foam products did not come easily or without cost," said Buster Mann, foam senior vice president. "But at the end of the day, it was the right thing to do, and it supports our goal to be a proactive leader within the marketplace."
Long used as a fire retardant in a variety of home furnishings and automotive products, TDCPP has come under fire as a potential health threat.
Last October it appeared on the California Proposition 65 list of materials that, according to California regulatory authorities, can increase the risk of contracting cancer. Prop 65 requires California manufacturers and retailers of products sold in California to notify workers, communities and consumers when chemicals identified as having the potential to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm are present in their products, workplace environment or retail store.
"Even though Prop 65 does not ban or restrict the use of any material, including TDCPP, Hickory Springs has chosen to eliminate the chemical from its formulations," said Mann. "We realize Californians are inundated with Prop 65 warnings in almost all aspects of their daily lives, but the thought of placing warning labels on furniture or mattresses was something Hickory Springs was not comfortable with doing."
He said that manufacturers who want to avoid the labeling requirements should, where practical, consider shipping older materials to locations outside California.