Beat pollution today to prevent disease tomorrow – for everyone
By Genon K. Jensen, HEAL’s Executive Director Adapted from speech given at high level event on 'A healthy environment for healthy lives', EU Green Week 2021 Almost 20 years ago,…
How PFAS chemicals affect women, pregnancy and human development: Health actors call for urgent action to phase them out
The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) have published a fact sheet and infographic to call for immediate action against “forever chemicals”, to protect reproductive health, fertility and human development.
HEAL reaction to the European Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan
Today, the Commission published its Zero Pollution Action Plan for air, water and soils (ZPAP). Anne Stauffer, Director for Strategy and Campaigns at HEAL commented: “The European Commission today has…
Setting Poland on the path for a healthy, green and just recovery
By end April, the Polish government has to submit a national recovery plan to the EU Commission, in order to receive funding under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). HEAL…
HEAL response to consultation on zero pollution
HEAL has submitted a response to the consultation on the European Commission's zero pollution action plan. It builds on HEAL's position on zero pollution 'Beat pollution - prevent disease'
If Europe really wants to beat cancer, it needs to drastically reduce environmental pollutants and action its Zero Pollution ambition
Today the European Commission launched the Beating Cancer Plan, marking the beginning of a new era in cancer prevention. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has welcomed the ambitious plan as a major step forward to prevent cancer by preventing pollution.
4 demands for an ambitious Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has the potential to mark the beginning of a new era in cancer prevention. But the EU’s response to the growing challenge of tackling the leading cause of deaths in the EU can only succeed if it includes hands-on strategies to address environmental pollutants.
Letter – Advancing on the zero pollution ambition, especially in recovery financing and investments, under the Portuguese Presidency
HEAL has sent a letter to the Portuguese presidency of the European Union, calling for putting the zero pollution ambition at the center of a healthy, just and green recovery…
Survey shows almost 50% of Belgians are unaware of health-harming endocrine disrupting chemicals in daily lives
Results from a new survey published by the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds (Mutualités Libres / Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen) reveal nearly half of Belgian citizens have little knowledge of what endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are and how they can impact our health.
An ambitious implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans to prevent ill-health and move towards zero pollution
As leaders are gathering in Sofia this week for the next meeting in the Berlin process, HEAL urges them ambitiously implement the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans to prevent ill-health and move towards zero pollution.
Zero pollution: Beat pollution – prevent disease
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading European not-for-profit organisation addressing how the natural and built environment affects health in the European Union. HEAL welcomes the priority that…
Turning the plastic tide: New HEAL report puts the spotlight on how chemicals in plastic are putting our health at risk
The production, use and recycling of plastics are not only the source of significant pollution of our environment, but they also have consequences for our health. Today the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) releases the primer ‘Turning the Plastic Tide’, aiming to shine a light on a rarely explored perspective to plastic pollution: the undeniable link between the synthetic chemicals used in plastics and their effects on our health.
‘Turning the Plastic Tide’ introduces readers to health concerns over our exposure to the chemicals coming at play throughout the entire lifecycle of plastics. It unwraps the grave challenge that the chemicals constituents involved at every stage – monomers, additives – pose to achieve a clean and healthy circular economy. The report also highlights the need for a broad definition of plastics that allows one to define the full scale of plastic contamination, including the all-pervasive problem of microplastics.
Exposure to chemicals used in plastics, like flame retardants, endocrine disruptors, PFAS, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates has been associated with a myriad of potential health impacts. For example, health concerns related to endocrine disruptors include reproductive disorders, development dysfunction, behavioural disorders, thyroid problems, low birth weight, diabetes and obesity, asthma, breast and prostate cancers.
Stronger regulations for Europe-wide solutions and better health
HEAL’s new primer is being launched at a crucial time for the delivery of Europe’s promises towards bettering future European legislation on chemicals and reaching the zero-pollution ambition. The release of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, a key component of the European Green Deal, is expected in the autumn of 2020. If well crafted, this could be the most transformative chemical policy initiative at European level since REACH was launched in 2006.
Solving the environmental pollution and health impacts of plastics is only possible by acknowledging that the problems of plastics are inextricably linked to chemical safety. Effective protection of health and environment will require stronger, more efficient and protective EU-wide regulations on chemicals and articles in which they are used. And those regulations need to encompass the entire lifecycle of plastics if they are to truly contribute to the transition to a non-toxic circular economy.
Our recommendations for regulators to turn the plastic tide include:
- Protect and be consistent
- No substance of very high concern (SVHC) should ever make its way into consumer products or food.
- It is high time to crack down on plastics additives.
- Rather than treating substances one by one, we must start regulating substances in groups. The reality of our exposure to mixtures, which is particularly relevant when addressing plastics, must be taken into account in chemicals assessments and regulations.
- Regulations on recycled materials should be the same as for virgin materials.
- Anticipate and communicate
- Implement essential EU principles such as the precautionary principle in cases of scientific uncertainties and the polluter-pays principle. Do not let substances that are not proven safe enter the market.
- Avoid contaminating the future: do not allow recycling of plastics with hazardous additives and components.
- Safe substitution must be anticipated and put more focus on in regulatory processes in order to avoid regrettable replacements, when a substance or group of substance are being restricted.
- Ensure full transparency on chemical content throughout the supply chain and towards consumers.
Plastique : Inverser La Tendance
Les substances chimiques dans les plastiques qui mettent notre santé en peril.
Invertire Il Trend Della Plastica
Le sostanze chimiche presenti nella plastica che mettono a rischio la nostra salute.
Invertir La Tendencia De Los Plásticos
Sustancias químicas del plástico que perjudican la salud.
FIGO, UCSF and HEAL share 10 tips to avoid toxic chemicals during and after pregnancy
The Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) and the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) have launched easy-to-use infographics for obstetricians, gynecologists and health groups to create awareness around toxic chemicals and pregnancy in a one-week social media campaign.
Strengthening Turkish health sector engagement on climate and environmental policies
New EU-financed project aims to build the capacity of the Turkish health sector on communications and advocacy for better health protection Studies regarding the impact of climate change and the…
Over 40 million health professionals urge G20 leaders to ensure a Healthy Recovery
On May 26, 2020, over 350 organisations representing over 40 million health professionals and over 4,500 individual health professionals from 90 different countries, wrote to the G20 leaders calling for…
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues launch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2020, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to launch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
Moment of truth for EU as over one million people and 100 NGOs call for green, healthy and just recovery
Over one million people and 100 environmental NGOs across Europe are calling on the European Union to restart its economy by launching the biggest green investment plan the world has…
