The Ecowaste Coalition has raised concerns over the increasing availability of Labubu-inspired items in the marketplace, which may contain toxic chemicals like lead.
Labubu has gained significant popularity in the Philippines, attracting both fans and collectors.
Ecowaste stated that several business establishments and stores in Divisoria, Manila are selling imitation dolls, stuffed toys, key chains, phone accessories, stickers, and purses at affordable prices, but the items are often sold without proper authorization and labeling information.
The group stated that out of 42 items it purchased, five were partially labeled, and the rest had no labels. Eight of the items were also found to contain lead, a potent neurotoxin, and 24 were made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, which often contains chemical additives like lead.
Lead levels on the key chains of the Labubu PVC plastic toys ranged from 212 to 1,728 parts per million. Ecowaste also issued a warning about hazardous chemicals in Christmas plastic balls, which are often sold without labeling or warning.
The group purchased 60 Christmas plastic balls from retail stores in Manila and Quezon City and screened them for substances of concern using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. Out of the 60 balls, 57 had high levels of bromine, with 43 having over 15,000 ppm bromine, and 16 having bromine above 30,000 ppm.
