Baltic Info Campaign on Hazardous Substances

Many products used in every day life, like toys, cosmetics, plastic products, etc. contain hazardous chemicals. In the Baltic States people are often not aware of this and sufficient regulation is not in place. The overall goal of the project is to initiate a stronger demand at the society in the three Baltic States for products free of hazardous substances via awareness raising activities.

Countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Donors: EU Life+
Partners: Baltic Environmental Forum Estonia (BEF EE), Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia (BEF LV), Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania (BEF LT), WECF, Environmental Film Studio (VFS), Tallinn University (TLU), Liepaja University (LiepU), Rautakesko AS Estonia (Rautakesko EE)
Issues: Chemicals & Health
Duration: 10/2011 - 03/2015

Many products used in every day life, like toys, cosmetics, plastic products, etc. contain hazardous chemicals. In the Baltic States people are often not aware of this and sufficient regulation is not in place. People need to know about the substances in their products and related health effects, to have a chance avoiding them if they wish to do so.

The overall goal of the project is to initiate a stronger demand at the society in the three Baltic States for products free of hazardous substances via awareness raising activities.

The project wants to have an impact on society’s behaviour to assist changing it from environmentally passive to active participation in environmental issues. It wants to improve the health protection from hazardous substances by changing consumption patterns at pilot stakeholder groups. The project also wants to communicate these demands to policy makers at national and international level.

Info campaign
The project partners Baltic Environmental Forum Estonia (BEF EE), Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia (BEF LV), Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania (BEF LT), WECF, Environmental Film Studio (VFS), Tallinn University (TLU), Liepaja University (LiepU), Rautakesko AS Estonia (Rautakesko EE) want to inform the society about which substances are considered at European Union (EU) and national level as hazardous, why so, in which products on the market they occur and where such products are used in everyday life. In the course of the project easy understandable information materials about potential impacts from hazardous substances to human health and environment targeted to the information needs of the particular stakeholder group will be elaborated and published also as other tools for communicating to the different target audiences such as interactive games, web competitions etc. will be developed and tested during project duration with the aim at addressing target groups in an attractive and inter-active way.

The project also offers practical advice to the target audiences on possible individual reduction measures of hazardous substances. The mind setting of the society should be supported by cooperating with educational institutions aiming to integrate the information on hazardous substances to school programmes and by addressing media and provide journalists with background information about the substances of concern and their impacts on the environment aiming at wider broadcasting.

Finally non-governmental organisations (NGO)s from Baltic States should be encouraged to take more active part at international fora where hazardous substance policies are negotiated and elaborated (EU working group on REACH or Stockholm Convention meetings, HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) revisions etc.) and policy making should be influenced through actions demanding stronger hazardous substance reduction measures within the Baltic Sea Strategy and at EU level.

For more information: alexandra.caterbow@wecf.eu, johanna.hausmann@wecf.eu,
kitty.kislenko@bef.ee


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