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A Toxics-Free Future

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Highlights Front Roll

SAICM: A Critical Tool

Fourth Meeting of the Intersessional Process for SAICM

Plastics, Plastic Waste, and Chemicals in Africa

Plastics, Plastic Waste, and Chemicals in Africa

New Video: Plastics Poisoning Our Health

Video: Plastics Poisoning Our Health

Promoting Stronger Protections on Chemicals at BRS COP

Global Talks on Harmful Chemicals Begin This Week

How the UNEA Plastics Resolutions Relates to Chemicals and Health

How the Plastic Pollution Resolution relates to chemicals and health

Plastic Poisons the Circular Economy

Plastic Poisons the Circular Economy

Plastic Waste Fuels: policy spreads toxic trade across Asia

Plastic Waste Fuels

Dr. Tadesse Amera, IPEN Co-Chair, welcoming participants to the meeting. To his left are Pamela Miller, IPEN-Co-Chair, and Björn Beeler, IPEN International Coordinator.

Capacity-building

IPEN 2020 Global Meeting and Forum

Monday, 09 March 2020

IPEN’s 2020 Global Meeting and Forum on Chemicals and Waste took place in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, from the 6th – 10th of February. More than 100 environmental, health and human rights leaders from over 50 countries came together to share the work they do locally and globally to ensure a just and healthy future for everyone by eliminating harm to human health and the environment from toxic chemicals.

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International Women's Day

Short Video: Gender and Chemicals

Monday, 09 March 2020

IPEN’s new short video about women and chemicals honors many of the women environmental health scientists and advocates dedicated to a world in which toxic chemicals are no longer produced or used in ways that harm human health and the environment. The video makes the case that attention to the differential impacts of toxic substances on women and girls as well as the differential exposure risks is fundamental to effective and sound management of chemicals and waste. Please watch and share.

 

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Alarming levels of some of the most toxic chemicals, including brominated dioxins and brominated flame retardants, were found in consumer products made of recycled plastics sold in Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, the EU, India, Japan and Nigeria.

Plastic Pollution

To Clean Up Canada’s Recycling Act, End a Zombie Chemical Policy

Thursday, 05 March 2020

https://medium.com/@ToxicsFree/to-clean-up-canadas-recycling-act-end-a-z...

Giving hazardous material to children to play with, we can agree, is a terrible idea. But the Canadian government, by allowing some of the most toxic chemicals in the world to be included in recycling, has done just that. Dangerous flame-retardant chemicals, which have been banned globally, can be found in children’s toys and home products that are made of recycled plastics because of one bad policy.

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Lead in Paint

Playground Equipment Contains Dangerous Levels of Lead: IPEN Studies

Thursday, 27 February 2020

by Faye Leone, Content Editor, SDGs and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (US)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • NGOs in five countries studied playground equipment as part of their participation in the International Pollutants Elimination Network, and found lead levels as high as 100,000 ppm in the equipment paint.
  • The recommended limit by UNEP is 90 ppm.
  • IPEN is calling for lead paint bans to include industrial paint on outdoor equipment, not only decorative paint, to protect children's health.

Children’s playgrounds in Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand commonly contain painted equipment with lead levels above 90 ppm, the recommended limit by UN Environment Program (UNEP). Organizations in each country studied playground equipment as part of their participation in the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a group of NGOs working to prevent toxic chemicals from harming human health and the environment.

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Minamata Disease

No More Minamatas - New Film & Efforts to Curb Mercury Pollution

Thursday, 20 February 2020

View the Guide

A new film starring Johnny Depp, "Minamata", directed by Andrew Levitas, tells the story of the legendary photo-journalist Eugene Smith and his wife Aileen Mioko Smith whose LIFE Magazine photos and book Minamata brought global attention to the devastating impacts of mercury pollution and exposed the corporate malfeasance of the Chisso Corporation that knowingly poured mercury-contaminated wastewater into Minamata Bay for decades. The film is an important opportunity to hold polluters accountable and to move global policy to more effectively curb mercury pollution.

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Stockholm Convention

EU Withdraws its Toxic Recycling Exemption

IPEN and Arnika Press Release
Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Environmental Health Groups Celebrate the End to EU Allowance for Banned Flame Retardant Chemicals to Enter Recycling Streams & New Products

Gothenburg, Sweden The European Union (EU) has taken an important step towards cleaning up its recycling; it will no longer allow materials containing a class of toxic, globally banned flame retardants known as PBDEs to be recycled. Researchers had revealed that across Europe, alarming levels of toxic banned flame retardants and related chemicals, which originated largely from discarded electronics equipment, were contaminating the recycling stream and new consumer goods made from recycled plastics. Environmental health advocates applaud the EU’s decision and encourage the six remaining countries with PBDE recycling exemptions to follow suit.

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Basel Convention

Basel Ban Amendment Guide

Wednesday, 8 January 2020 - 9:15am

On the 5th of December 2019, the Basel Ban Amendment became international law. The Ban Amendment, adopted by the parties to the Basel Convention in 1995, prohibits the export of hazardous wastes from member states of the European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Liechtenstein to all other countries.

IPEN & BAN have produced a Basel Ban Amendment Guide, covering the implications and next steps for countries, public interest groups, and other stakeholders with the common goal to stop international hazardous waste dumping.

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