Building a healthy circular economy: Integrating chemicals, products, and waste under the Circular Economy Act

Our society is continuously, and often unknowingly, exposed to a low-level mixture of harmful chemicals – a problem that remains both underestimated and largely unaddressed. This policy briefing highlights the clear health and economic consequences of the European Union’s (EU) lax toxic-chemical policies, and proposes that these be strengthened in the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA).

The CEA would thus serve as a guiding compass to drive resilient economies and strategic use of the EU’s resources, while ensuring a safe and toxic-free transition for workers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and citizens. A CEA with stringent toxic-chemical policies would allow the EU to harness circularity and competitiveness to better protect its citizens, and prevent a future public health crisis.

Available in English.