Home Depot To Stop Selling Vinyl Flooring with Ortho-Phthalates

Atlanta, GA, April 24, 2015—Facing pressure from consumer groups, Home Depot says it will discontinue use of a potentially harmful chemical in its vinyl flooring by the end of the year, reports the New York Times.

The retailer is asking about a half-dozen suppliers to phase out their use of ortho-phthalates, which will affect about 15% of the company’s vinyl products, according to Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for Home Depot.

Ortho-phthalates are used as plasticizers, meaning that they can make products more flexible. Consumer safety advocates say there is a growing body of evidence linking some phthalates to reproductive and developmental problems, particularly in male babies.