LIFE Chemical Ambassadors for Europe

Introduction

Chemical substances are ubiquitous in everyday products. Some of them may damage human health, as they have EDC properties. Some are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to the environment. The new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the Zero Pollution Action Plan demand measures for a toxic-free environment and protection of consumers.

Behaviour Change Strategy

The most effective option to reduce substance emissions while better legislation is being negotiated between policymakers and industry is to motivate the end-user (consumer) to act at source. Changing consumption behaviour of purchasing goods is key. It empowers the end-user and enables concrete improvements of health impacts in their own surroundings (household, office).

Tools for Change

LIFE ChemBee will campaign an effective tool for behaviour change: the Household Check developed in the predecessor project NonHazCity.

• It encourages participants to:
  1. Make inventories of goods at the household.
  2. Pile them up.
  3. Take decisions on what to change.
  4. Monitor the change.

The tool has been tested and is ready for widespread use all over Europe. The project will also promote the app Scan4Chem developed in LIFE AskREACH, which supports purchase decisions and demonstrates to suppliers the concern of consumers about tox-free goods.

Outreach and Engagement

With the help of volunteers, known as Chemicals Ambassadors, the project will reach out to many more households than the partners themselves can achieve. A ready-to-use education program will engage 2000 Ambassadors and multiply the number of households to 43,000 during a compact 2-year campaign.

In parallel, we will apply the Eco-Supporter approach tested in Finland within NonHazCity, establishing approximately 200 in-house advisors (volunteers) in France and Greece.

Expected Outcomes

The project will substantially increase awareness of end-users regarding harmful substances in products used in our daily life. It will lead to significant changes in consumption patterns and, in the long-term perspective, result in concrete emission reductions of some problematic substances.