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Big brands clean up

Our children inherit the toxic burden of our planet. Enlarge Image

Poisoning the unborn

The umbilical cord is more than a prenatal lifeline: it's also the unborn child's link to the toxic burden of our planet. According to new research by Greenpeace and WWF UK, the toxic chemicals in our cell phones, our computers, our perfumes, our shaving cream, and our clothes are also present in our children.

Toxic teletubbies? Po (who has a PVC mouth) will no longer be so poisonous in the EU under new laws banning phlalates from toys. Enlarge Image

Victory! A toxic Toy Story

Before now, bad Barbies, toxic Teletubbies and rotten rubber ducks could have been slowly poisoning small children. The very chemicals that made these toys so soft and tempting to teething toddlers have been shown to damage organs in animals. But the European Parliament has banned manufacturers from using six of these toxic chemicals, freeing Europe from many toxic toys for good.

Sony Ericsson phone - Sony Ericsson has recently committed to remove toxic chemicals from its entire product range. Market leaders such as Sony Ericsson show that substitution of toxics with safer alternatives is possible. Enlarge Image

Toxic Tech Victory

Sony Ericsson has announced that it will be phasing toxic chemicals out of its entire product range. The company listened to the thousands of participants in our online action demanding that electronics companies phase out toxic chemicals and substitute them with safer alternatives.

Love is.......ensuring you're not contaminated! Take action for strong European chemical laws. Enlarge Image

The scent of chemicals

When you buy a gift for a loved one you don't expect that it might come with a dose of harmful chemicals. But if you are buying certain perfumes this Valentine's day that's exactly what you'll get.

Unborn babies are exposed in the womb to synthetic chemicals. Enlarge Image

Toxins in your TV, poisons in your PC?

Toxic chemicals found in products like home electronics are polluting environments across the globe and traces of which are found in most newborn babies. Discover the good companies removing these poisons from their products and pressure the bad guys by doing our Toxic Tech Test!

Samsung annouces phase out of hazardous chemicals. Enlarge Image

Samsung cleans up

Consumer power scored another victory recently with the announcement from electronics giant Samsung that it plans to phase out hazardous chemicals in its products. Seeing its brand-name products graded red - as containing hazardous chemicals - on the Greenpeace database, prompted the company to do the right thing on dangerous chemicals.

Greenpeace's Chemical House database helps consumers select less toxic alternatives Enlarge Image

The chemical house

If you don't want to buy products containing toxic chemicals, how do you avoid them? Can you assume companies don't put toxic chemicals in their products? Unfortunately many large companies would rather keep secrets than inform consumers. Can you check the label? Nope, little or no information there. Can you rely on current laws and regulations? Bad luck - there's currently little protection on offer. So what can you do?

Disney children's wear often contains toxic chemicals. Enlarge Image

Dirty Disney revealed by hazardous chemicals in products

Disney is famous for its lovable cartoon characters seen on our screens and in wide range of products found in homes worldwide. What isn't so famous is the fact that some of those products for babies and children contain toxic chemicals hazardous to human health and the environment.

Monica Gibbs lives next to a chemical plant in south Louisiana and needs to wear a breathing mask. She has suffered from respiratory problems since birth. Her town is part of the infamous 'cancer alley', so called because of the huge number of chemical refineries in the area and illnesses related to the pollution from the plants. Enlarge Image

Dodgy deals and irresponsible care

A recently leaked document has revealed the secret plans of the American Chemistry Council to trash anti-pollution laws in California. The internal memo, a proposal from PR firm Nichols-Dezenhall, outlines tactics such as the creation of phoney front groups and spying on activists to undermine pioneering laws that protect the environment. Unfortunately the Chemistry Council is just one of many industry front groups dedicated to making sure nothing interferes with corporate profits.

Dangerous Chemicals in the home accumulate in the human body. Enlarge Image

The chemical house

Everyday products in our homes poison us every day. You can find out more about these products, and DO something about them, by visiting a new website produced by Greenpeace in the UK: The Chemical Home.

Unborn babies are exposed in the womb to synthetic chemicals. Enlarge Image

Chemical consumers?

Maybe you live in a nice house, with a sparkling bathroom, comfy carpet, air that smells of alpine meadows and lovely polished surfaces? Well next time you buy polish, shampoo, detergent, toys for your kids or a new television you could also be bringing some nasty chemicals into your home. Do you want to remain an unwitting chemical consumer?

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