Take action to phase out harmful chemicals from consumer products
We can be exposed to many different harmful chemicals in the products we use every day – from the food packaging we put our lunches in, to the cosmetics we put on each morning, to the sofas we sit on in the evening.
Some of these chemicals can interfere with our body’s sensitive hormone messaging system (called endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs). Others can pollute our environment long after they have been used, threatening the wellbeing of wildlife. Certain chemicals have been linked to serious health impacts, such as some hormone-related cancers and reproductive issues.
The use of these harmful chemicals in consumer products is often not needed, and safer alternatives are often already available.
Current chemicals laws are not up to the job of protecting us from harmful chemicals, and so we need the UK Government to act.
You can write to your MP urging them to support legislation to phase out the most harmful chemicals from consumer products by 2030.
An idea for an email is below. Personalising this email will make it more powerful.
Dear [Your local MP]
On a daily basis, we are exposed to harmful chemicals from the products we use without a second thought. This includes the clothes we wear, the packaging we wrap our food in, and the furniture we have in our homes.
Some of these chemicals have been linked to serious health impacts, such as certain cancers and reproductive issues, while others pollute the environment for many years and threaten the health of wildlife. The use of these harmful chemicals in consumer products are often not needed, with safer alternatives already available.
Although individuals can take some small actions to reduce their own exposure, many people do not have sufficient information to do this. The best way to protect the health of people is through authorities taking responsibility to prevent the use of these chemicals in the first place. The UK Government should act now to phase out the most harmful chemicals from consumer products by 2030.
Please can you pass on these concerns to Rt Hon Thérése Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Yours sincerely,
[Provide your full name and address, including post code, to demonstrate you are a constituent]