Insights

Toxic-Free Future, Safer States, and more than 250 state, local, and national public health and environmental groups sent a joint letter to Congress this week, urging lawmakers to reject the chemical lobby’s efforts to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the main federal law governing chemicals made, imported, or used in the U.S. The […]

2025 is turning out to be a landmark year for toxic chemical reform at the state level. So far, ten states have adopted at least 22 policies aimed at reducing exposure to toxic chemicals and advancing safer solutions. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Behind these wins are fierce fights against industry […]

For years, the packaging used to hold our food—like wrappers, containers, and boxes —has been a hidden source of harmful endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These toxic substances can interfere with our hormones and contribute to serious health problems, including cancer, infertility, and developmental issues. But that’s starting to change. Thanks to bold state leadership, corporate action, […]

Happy New Year! Starting January 1, 2025, several state policies targeting PFAS “forever chemicals” went into effect, marking a major milestone in protecting public health and helping transform the national marketplace. These policies will restrict PFAS and other chemicals of concern in everyday products, demonstrating how states are leading the way to reduce toxic exposure […]

As we approach the midyear, many state legislative sessions have concluded or are winding down. As of today, 12 states have adopted at least 20 policies that aim to transform our economic system into one that protects communities and creates incentives for industry to develop safer chemicals and materials. We anticipate this momentum to continue […]

Policies to protect Mainers from toxic PFAS chemicals remain strong Maine, a leading state in efforts to address the “forever chemical” crisis, recently adopted revisions to its groundbreaking law that banned PFAS chemicals in consumer products by 2030. Maine originally adopted the law in 2021 in response to Mainers demanding solutions to the PFAS crisis […]

Read the full analysis Safer States published 2024 Analysis of State Legislation Addressing Toxic Chemicals and Plastics on February 8, 2024. Overall, at least 36 states will consider more than 450 bills on toxic chemical and plastics related policies. The analysis further finds that banning “forever chemicals” will continue to dominate in 2024, with at […]

As most states have now wrapped up their legislative sessions, we’ve found that states across the nation have adopted a range of innovative policies to combat toxic chemicals and incentivize the adoption of safer solutions.  So far this year, 17 states have adopted at least 35 policies that help transform our economic system to better protect communities and create incentives for industry to develop safer chemicals and materials. 

On February 3, 2023, a train carrying hazardous chemicals, including toxic vinyl chloride, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Vinyl chloride is a deadly toxic chemical used to create polyvinyl chloride (PVC), one of the most widely produced plastics in the world used to make flooring, pipes, and packaging.

Safer States published 2023 Analysis of State Legislation Addressing Toxic Chemicals and Materials on February 6, 2023 which analyzed state-level policies driving toward safer chemicals and materials and healthier communities, finding that at least 30 states will consider policies in 2023. Safer States anticipates that at least 260 policies will be under consideration in 2023 with PFAS, plastics and cosmetics being the most relevant issues.