Protecting Health from Toxic Chemicals
Everyone deserves to live in a world where our health comes first — where the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the products we use are safe. But today, toxic chemicals and plastics are contaminating our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods, often without our knowledge or consent.
Plastics, PFAS, and Toxic Chemicals Are Hurting Families and Communities
Across the country, families and communities are facing mounting and preventable threats to their health. PFAS, plastics, and other toxic chemicals harm public health, contaminate food and drinking water, undermine product safety, and impose hidden costs on households — from rising water bills to medical expenses.
A Toxic Lifecycle, Driven by Polluters
These harms all stem from the same origin: oil and gas based chemicals made by polluters who exploit lax rules to pass the burden and costs of pollution onto states and consumers. At every stage of the chemical and plastics lifecycle — extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal — harmful pollutants contaminate our water, air, soil, homes, and workplaces.
Toxic chemicals and plastics contribute to the climate crisis. Plastics and petrochemicals come from the same fossil fuels responsible for rising climate pollution. Plastics production alone releases about four times more climate pollution than the airline industry, and is growing so fast it will undo current emissions reduction progress.
Pollution is costing states and consumers millions of dollars. The cost to clean up PFAS, and other toxic chemicals is costing states and taxpayers billions of dollars. Prevention-based solutions that turn off the tap on harmful chemicals and materials is an essential solution to ensuring safe and healthy communities.
States Are Leading and Have Proven Solutions
State leaders are working with families, firefighters, farmers, nurses and small business owners to advance health first, prevention focused policies grounded in fairness and accountability. States have shown that the best solutions for protecting our health include:
- Requiring transparency around chemical ingredients and hazards
- Eliminating the most harmful chemicals and materials
- Investing in safer materials and innovation
- Holding polluters accountable
This toolkit provides a clear pathway for action and access to model policies that reflect two decades of state leadership addressing harmful chemicals.
