I think the problem is less with the usage and more with the disposal.

We need effective ways to dispose of things - preferably by recycling/recovering - that have harmful components. Because once they're in a landfill, they can get into the ecosystem in a big way (lots of little bits adding up ...) and they don't just "go away" because you stuck them in a landfill. At some point they become a hazard.

I'm all for sensible warnings, labels and restrictions (by which I mean to say, I think California goes overboard), but I think we do need to think about the materials we use.