Washington State Advocacy

In 2008, Washington state led the nation by enacting the strongest standards for toxic chemicals in toys. This leadership directly resulted in the U.S. Congress passing legislation banning lead and phthalates in children's toys. Washington has a lot to be proud of!

While the state has made great progress toward a healthier future for our children, there is still much to be done. Washington's industries continue to use and discharge chemicals that contaminate our air, our waterways and our bodies. Harmful chemicals, such as the hormone-disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), remain in consumer products our children use every day. This year, the state's Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition will build on past successes by supporting legislation protecting our environment and our health.

Help Get BPA out of Baby Bottles

A number of studies have found BPA to be linked to later-life breast cancer, as well as heart disease, obesity, reproductive failures and hyperactivity in laboratory animals – even at extremely low exposure levels.

Bisphenol A was developed as a synthetic sex hormone but is now used in hard plastics, the lining of food cans, dental sealants and other everyday items. Baby bottles are also commonly made with BPA, and their developing bodies are particularly sensitive to the chemical's effects.

Please join Washington's Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition in calling for a law to get BPA out of kids' products this year! Chemicals linked to breast cancer don't belong in products Washington families use every day.

Learn more about the Safe Baby Bottle Act »

Building on Past Success

This year's work builds on prior accomplishments, which included passage of the Washington Children's Safe Products Act of 2008. This bill set the highest standards for toy safety in the nation, including the banning of chemicals such as lead, cadmium and phthalates from children's toys and other products, in addition to public reporting and educational resources. This success supported efforts at the federal level to pass the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act removing phthalates from toys across the nation.

For more information about this legislation, endorsing organizations, fact sheets and resources on product safety, visit the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition.

Resources

Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition »

The Collaborative on Health and the Environment – Washington »

Breast cancer service resources in Washington »