What we are doing to stop the spread of toxic chemicals

For over 20 years we have been demanding an end to the production of hazardous chemicals at home, and the export of dangerous wastes and polluting technologies to other countries. Our current campaigns aim to achieve this by encouraging the EU to adopt the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) process, and by challenging the electronics sector to become greener by demanding that electronics companies clean up their products and take responsibility for recycling them when they are discarded by consumers.

REACH

We are campaigning to ensure a strong and effective European Chemicals policy. The REACH proposal for a new European law, recently debated by governments and the European Parliament, required that no toxic chemical should be used where there are safer alternative options. Despite offering a real opportunity to begin controlling the spread of chemicals in its original form, before it became law the REACH legislation was drastically weakened following sustained lobbying by the chemicals industry.

Toxic-tech

Evey year we're consuming more and more new electronic products, and throwing the old ones away. The result? A huge increase e-waste, electronic scrap full of toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be disposed of or recycled safely. But this problem can be avoided by designing cleaner products. Strangely enough, one of the worst offenders are computer giant Apple, who are chiefly known for their clean and futuristic design. We are pressing leading electronic companies to make a change, and start to turn back the toxic tide of e-waste. For more information check out our Green Electronics Guide.