Diapers, toys, clothing, pizza paper and many other everyday products are now full of chemical components whose impact on health and the environment no longer needs to be proven. For years, environmental and consumer associations have been mobilizing to expose their harmfulness to people and the planet. Would their words finally be heard? That suggests the plan unveiled by the European Commission on Monday, April 25, which aims to ban 4,000 to 7,000 chemicals by 2030.
Thousands of substances involved
“If carried out, the campaign will be the largest ever to legally remove permitted chemicals and will include chemicals that environmental, consumer and health groups have fought for for decades”welcomes the European Environment Agency (EEB).
In the focus of the European Commission, we find in the first place the group of PVC (polyvinyl chlorides), a form of plastic that is very little recyclable, used in the manufacture of toys, food packaging, textiles, shoes, furniture… Some of its additives, such as phthalates, heavy metals or PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances), which accumulate in the body, are accused of being linked to diseases such as cancer or obesity.
Flame retardants present in mattresses or car seats, as well as substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR) found in Layers are also included. “roadmap restrictions”† The same goes for the family of bisphenols used in the manufacture of food packaging.
A “ historical turning point HAS”
“Some chemicals on the roadmap list were already subject to EU restrictions, but most are new. The process to ban all chemicals on the list will begin within two years. All substances will have disappeared by 2030”treasure the BEE.
The substances will be classified by family. Thereby, HAS” we go from the substance-by-substance approach to an approximation per group of molecules HAS”summarizes the Health Environment Network (RES) interviewed by reporter who qualifies these announcements as? HAS” historical turning point HAS”† Substances from the same family will therefore be considered dangerous as the most harmful. An effective way to accelerate the ban on harmful substances and reduce consumer exposure to these harmful chemicals for health and the environment.
However, Tatiana Santos of EEB . predicts “the petrochemical industry will strongly oppose it (…) Flame retardants and bisphenols are widely used, it takes political courage to ban them. Nearly all manufactured goods in stores and our homes will be affected.”†