Sherwin-Williams to Phase Out Paint Stripper Chemical

Sherwin-Williams announced it will begin phasing out methylene chloride, a chemical used in its paint strippers that has been linked to several deaths in recent years.
The company said it will stop using the chemical in all of its paint removal products by the end of the year, becoming the second major U.S. retailer to commit to banning the chemical after Lowe’s announced May 29 it would begin phasing out products containing it. Sherwin-Williams has more than 4,600 locations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.
The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families organization has been leading the charge against the chemical in recent months, advocating for its removal from store shelves. Families of three young men who died while using products containing the chemical have also been seeking a ban on methylene chloride.
The EPA proposed a ban on the chemical in January 2017, but the proposal has since been tabled. The EPA recently announced plans to reexamine the proposal.