The people and communities impacted by PVC plastic pollution are speaking out.
Frontline leaders from across the country are calling on The Home Depot to lead the industry away from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, highlighted in a new “photo quilt” unveiled by Toxic-Free Future and partners nationwide.
Dozens of public health, environmental justice, community, and consumer organizations also sent a letter to the CEO of The Home Depot, echoing this demand. The letter and photo quilt were released as the company’s annual shareholder meeting approaches on May 21, 2026.
Many of the advocates pictured live with the daily consequences of vinyl production and disposal, from toxic pollution fouling their air and water to hazardous chemicals accumulating in their bodies and communities. Communities on the frontlines are demanding that The Home Depot stop fueling this harm and lead the industry toward safer alternatives.
Some of the pictures show advocates holding signs in front of major sources of PVC pollution—from vinyl chloride and PVC factories to garbage incinerators that burn this toxic plastic.
Picturing a PVC-free future
These leaders are calling on The Home Depot to confront the harm driven by PVC and lead the industry toward safer solutions:
- Point Comfort, Texas – Diane Wilson of San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper, photographed in front of Formosa Plastics in Point Comfort, Texas, one of the nation’s largest vinyl chloride polluters.
- Mossville, Lousiana – Debra Ramirez of Mossville Environmental Action Now, pictured at the site of a former vinyl plant that polluted her community’s groundwater with ethylene dichloride, ultimately forcing the relocation of the historic African American community of Mossville, Louisiana. Testing revealed residents had levels of dioxins in their bodies three times above the national average, and many experienced serious illnesses such as cancer they believed to be caused by chemical exposure.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Cancer Alley) – Sharon Lavigne of Rise St. James, photographed near Formosa Plastics facilities in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, part of “Cancer Alley,” where residents face elevated cancer risks from vinyl pollution.
- East Palestine, Ohio – Jess Conard of the community rail safety program, Rail Watch. Jess’s family was displaced after the East Palestine, Ohio vinyl chloride train derailment. February 3, 2026 marked the third anniversary of the disaster.
- Across the country – And many other grassroots leaders pictured above who are demanding that The Home Depot show leadership and act.
Organizations urge The Home Depot to phase out PVC plastic
More than 50 public health, environmental justice, community, and consumer organizations sent a letter to The Home Depot CEO with a clear demand: the company must phase out PVC plastic from its packaging and building materials, starting with brand-name product packaging.
The letter follows new research published in November, revealing that many popular brand-name products sold at The Home Depot, from power tools like Milwaukee to Ryobi, are packaged in PVC. It also comes amid growing pressure from consumers and investors who expect The Home Depot to match its sustainability commitments with decisive action on PVC in packaging and products.
Growing scrutiny of the vinyl plastics industry
These calls come amid heightened scrutiny of the vinyl plastics industry, as enforcement actions and scientific evidence underscore the serious public-health harms of PVC production and disposal.
In December, vinyl producer Westlake was hit with a $205,000 fine by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for violating state and federal pollution laws, including illegal releases of cancer-causing chemicals used to produce PVC packaging and building products. Less than two weeks later, the company announced it was shutting down its vinyl chloride plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well as a PVC plastics plant in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Investors calling for action on toxic plastics at The Home Depot
At The Home Depot’s May 21st annual general meeting, investors will be voting on two separate shareholder resolutions asking the company to address toxic plastics such as PVC. Similar resolutions were filed last year, one of which received 17 percent of the vote.
Investors filed these resolutions due to growing concerns that plastics like PVC pose reputational, regulatory, and legal risks.
Time for The Home Depot to lead once again
Over the last decade, The Home Depot has demonstrated leadership is possible by improving the chemical safety of its supply chain—phasing out phthalates in flooring, eliminating methylene chloride and NMP in paint removers, restricting PFAS in carpets and rugs, and, most recently, phasing out PVC plastic in private-label packaging.
Now, communities across the country, especially those bearing the health and environmental costs of PVC plastic pollution, are calling on The Home Depot to take the next necessary step: work with suppliers to restrict PVC in brand-name packaging and products sold on its shelves.
With the shareholder meeting approaching, The Home Depot has a clear opportunity and responsibility to lead again. Phasing out PVC would protect communities, reduce toxic plastic pollution, and demonstrate the company is serious about addressing the growing reputational, regulatory, and legal risks associated with this toxic plastic.
TAKE ACTION: Tell The Home Depot to phase out PVC plastic now!
Senior Director of Programs and Strategy
Mike Schade leads Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program, which challenges retailers to shift the marketplace away from hazardous chemicals and develop comprehensive safer chemicals policies.
