IPEN: toxics-free

In preparation for the upcoming Plastics Treaty Heads of Delegation meeting, IPEN notes that countries participating in the Plastics Treaty negotiations will need to swiftly assess the Chair’s upcoming “draft roadmap."
Read here: https://ipen.org/documents/open-letter-plastics-treaty-delegates

IPEN women celebrate International Women's Day!

IPEN women celebrate International Women's Day!

Today on International Women's Day, hear from Ana Paula Souza of the UN High Commission for Human Rights speaking on Human Rights, Chemicals and Women's Health.

The cosmetics target women and put their health, reproductive well-being, and households at risk.

Mercury in cosmetics can cause serious neurological damage, kidney problems and skin disorders, and exposure can also harm infants through pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Colorism fuels mercury skin-lightening creams with toxicity risks for women and infants As International Women’s Day (Mar 8) approaches, EcoWaste Coalition is raising alarms about mercury-containing cosmetics that target women and put their health, reproductive well-being, and hous...

Personal Care Insights reports that mercury-containing skin-lightening creams continue to be sold in global markets despite international bans and growing health warnings: www.personalcareinsights.com/news/mercury...
EcoWaste Coalition is raising alarms about mercury-containing cosmetics.

These chemicals are not just additives; they may be migrating from the headphones into our body,” said Karolína Brabcová, chemical expert at Arnika, part of the ToxFree LIFE for All project.

Researchers detected BPA in 98% of samples.

Hazardous substances found in all headphones tested by ToxFREE project Substances include chemicals that can cause cancer, neurodevelopmental problems, and the feminisation of males

Damien Gayle at The Guardian reports that the ToxFree LIFE for All project found hazardous chemicals in every pair of headphones tested, including bisphenols, phthalates, and chlorinated paraffins linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive harm: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The article explains that hazardous pesticides that are restricted or banned in the Global North continue to be manufactured and exported to Africa, a toxic double-standard that profits Northern companies while poisoning African people.

Slow violence against children: The invisible toll of chronic pesticide exposure Chronic pesticide exposure is a ‘silent pandemic’ of neurodevelopmental harm in South Africa. The current regulatory system, designed for adults, fails to protect children from cumulative, low-level e...

Megan Hyslop reports in Daily Maverick on the “slow violence” of chronic pesticide exposure and its invisible toll on children’s health in South Africa, particularly in farming and rural communities: www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Women are disproportionately impacted by toxic chemicals. This webinar will bring together human rights and youth leaders to reflect on these connections, share community experiences from Indonesia, and discuss practical ways to strengthen gender-responsive action in chemicals and waste governance.

Join us this Friday, 6 March, for a webinar, Women, Chemicals & Human Rights: Integrating Justice into Chemical Governance.

RSVP here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The documents suggest industry pressure and political considerations have influenced the pace and scope of proposed PFAS rules, even as scientific evidence links exposure to cancer, immune suppression, and developmental harms.

Inside Lobbyist Efforts to Gut Federal ‘Forever Chemical’ Regulations More than 500 pages of emails, internal presentations and talking points obtained by NOTUS detail lobbying efforts around the EPA’s decision to walk back standards.

A report from NOTUS, based on newly obtained FOIA records, reveals internal tensions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over how aggressively to regulate PFAS, “forever chemicals.” www.notus.org/climate-envi...

Grassy Narrows elder shares mercury insights with Indigenous network The National Indigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects invited representatives from across the country to its first knowledge exchange in British Columbia.

NWONewsWatch shares that Judy Da Silva, a Grassy Narrows Elder who suffers from mercury contamination, spoke with an Indigenous network, highlighting the decades-long health, cultural, and environmental impacts of toxic pollution in the community.
www.nwonewswatch.com/local-news/g...

Study finds prenatal exposure to dozens more PFAS than previously detected in cord blood | Contemporary Pediatrics Nontargeted analysis identified 42 PFAS in cord blood, revealing broader prenatal exposure than traditional testing methods capture.

Contemporary Pediatrics reports that a new study has identified dozens more PFAS “forever chemicals” in umbilical cord blood than previously detected, highlighting widespread prenatal exposure. www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/study-f...

Last year, a new study revealed alarming levels of toxic chemicals in free-range eggs across five continents: ipen.org/news/new-stu...

Concern over PFAS duck eggs near Thornton-Cleveleys chemical site A mum-of-five is

Emma Stanley at BBC News reports that elevated levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” were found in eggs from domestic poultry kept near a former ICI chemical plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Advocacy Groups Call for Action on Energy Industry Pollution Over 50 representatives gather in Jakarta to demand a just green transition in Indonesia's energy and metallurgy sectors.

"The sustainability aspects of the energy transition & critical mineral supply chains are not just about the minerals being extracted, but about the lives protected in the process." - @ismawati17.bsky.social

Women are disproportionately impacted by toxic chemicals. Next Friday, join @toxicsfree.bsky.social for a webinar on the importance of including women in decision-making when it comes to toxic chemical regulation. #EnvironmentalJustice Register: www-tinyurl.com/07625163

Scientists and Experts Call for International Maritime Law to Recognize Plastic Pellets as Hazardous to the Marine Environment | IPEN Following several large-scale spills, an international group of experts is calling for IMO to recognize the hazards that plastic pellets (‘nurdles’) pose to the marine environment and to implement…

Plastic pellets from petchemi facilities continue to pollute our waterways. Scientists & experts call for International Maritime Law to recognize plastic pellets as hazardous to the marine environment. @toxicsfree.bsky.social #EnvironmentalJustice ipen.org/news/scienti...

Interlinkages Among Plastics, Chemicals, and Climate Change: Harm to Health and Environment Across the Full Lifecycle from Extraction to Disposal | ACAT Plastics are often treated as just a waste problem; however they are fundamentally a toxic chemical and climate problem. Derived from fossil fuels, plastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and…

Join @acat-akaction.bsky.social and CHE-AK for their next webinar on Thursday, February 26, at 10am AKST/ 2pm EST/ 8pm CET.

Interlinkages Among Plastics, Chemicals, and Climate Change.
RSVP here: www.akaction.org/webinars/202...

The speakers are Dr. Leonardo Trasande and Rosemary Ahtuangaruak.

On Feb 24, IPEN's Science Advisor and our Co-Chair will speak at a Stockholm Convention webinar focused on the Stockholm Convention and how countries can develop and implement action plans to eliminate health threats from POPs.

Learn more and RSVP here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Plastic Polymers Exempt from Global Waste Regulations Pose Threats to Health and the Environment - IPEN International Pollutants Elimination Network Report informs Plastics Treaty delegates of problems in plastic recycling and calls for upstream solutions to the plastics crisis  A new report from

A recent report from GRID-Arendal and IPEN finds that three major types of plastic waste that are mostly exempt from global transparency rules pose significant threats to the environment and human health.

Learn more: stoppoisonplastic.org/blog/plastic...

IPEN Science Advisor Dr. Therese Karlsson co-authored a commentary documenting decades of research showing the threats to ocean environments posed by plastics commonly spilled during shipping. The piece calls for stronger global rules to prevent plastic spills.

Read more: ipen.org/news/scienti...

Hair samples collected by Indigenous Peoples in Peru and Nicaragua, in communities near artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations, show high levels of mercury.

Download the report here: ipen.org/documents/me...

This map highlights original science, country-based data, and policy proposals to end the health and environmental threats from plastics.

Visit: ipen-plastic-map.vercel.app

150+ publications and reports from more than 85 countries are visualized in the map.

Chemicals and Waste Negotiations Briefing 2026 YouTube video by Geneva Environment Network

IPEN Science Advisor Sara Brosché spoke about the importance of civil society participation in chemical policy development at the Chemicals and Waste Negotiations Briefing 2026 webinar hosted by the @genevaenvironmentnetwork.org

Watch the entire thing here: www.youtube.com/live/Cna4yTm...

Underscoring the planetary pollution crisis we are in, Sara Brosché of @toxicsfree.bsky.social highlights multisectoral & multistakeholder engagement as vital, stressing the need to move beyond business-as-usual, maximize agreements, ensure effective decision-making & engage in alternatives.

As a member of the NGO coalition @toxicsfree.bsky.social, we joined the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution #ISP-CWP to advocate for an independent, transparent, and conflict-free panel that truly responds to communities vulnerable to toxic pollution