This week CHEM Trust wrote to the UK Government, alongside 26 UK public health and environmental NGOs, to outline 12 Key Asks for the UK’s new Chemicals Strategy.

Synthetic chemicals are used in many different applications in our modern society, such as in food packaging, cosmetics, and soft furnishings. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals have been linked to serious health concerns, including fertility problems, issues with reproductive development and hormone-related cancers. Pollution from hazardous chemicals is also threatening the wellbeing of wildlife.

The UK Government has promised a new Chemicals Strategy to set out its approach for managing chemicals, following the UK’s departure from the EU. The process to develop this strategy is still underway, with a consultation expected in late 2021.

The 12 Key Asks highlight a range of actions that must be implemented in the new Chemicals Strategy in order to provide strong protection from hazardous chemicals for UK people, wildlife and the environment:

1. Apply the precautionary principle;
2. Phase out the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products, for all non-essential uses;
3. A plan to address endocrine disrupting chemicals including timelines to phase them out;
4. Phase out the use of PFAS and other very persistent chemicals;
5. Speed up regulation of harmful chemicals and avoid regrettable substitution by adopting a grouping approach;
6. Address the combined exposure to chemicals – the ‘cocktail effect’;
7. Maintain and expand on workers’ health and safety;
8. Ensure a clean circular economy with products that are safe by design;
9. Develop an effective monitoring and alert system;
10. Stop the continued accumulation of legacy chemicals in the environment;
11. Remain aligned with the world-leading chemical regulation EU REACH;
12. Ensure more transparency and use of all relevant science for assessing health risks.

Read the letter to UK ministers.

Read the 12 Key Asks for the UK Chemicals Strategy.

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