EcoWaste Coalition and Laban Konsyumer, Inc. Joint Press Release
Government Urged to Go After Importers, Distributors and Retailers of Toxic Cosmetics
Quezon City: Chemical safety and consumer protection groups today revealed the unabashed trade of mercury-containing skin whitening products despite being illegal to import, distribute and sell.
The EcoWaste Coalition and Laban Konsyumer, Inc. made the exposé ahead of the first Conference of Parties (COP1) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury on September 24 to 29 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Minamata Convention, an international treaty, aims “to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic releases of mercury and mercury compounds.” Among other things, it targets the phase-out of skin lightening products with mercury above one part per million (ppm).
An environmental group on Sunday warned consumers against buying and using smuggled beauty products that contain high levels of mercury.
EcoWaste Coalition coordinator Thony Dizon said 10 imported facial whitening and freckle removing creams from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Taiwan contain mercury way above the regulatory limit of one part per million (ppm).
Pasay City/Quezon City. A visiting expert from US today drew attention to the emerging concerns around the environmental impacts of microplastics in cosmetics at the ongoing beauty trade show in Pasay City.
Expert says antibacterials are no more effective than plain soap and water in reducing disease
Quezon City. A non-profit toxics watch group urged consumers to refrain from using antibacterial soaps and washes containing triclosan and triclocarban as a historic ban in US on such products looms.
Quezon City. Twenty paint companies are now producing architectural, decorative and household (ADH) paints free of health-damaging lead-based-pigments, driers and anti-corrosion agents.
The EcoWaste Coalition, a chemical safety and zero waste watch group, revealed the good news after receiving written responses from paint manufacturers confirming their compliance with the three-year phase-out period for lead-containing ADH paints that ended last December 31, 2016.
Quezon City. Civil society groups have reiterated their support for actions that will prevent mercury contamination of the ecosystems and the resulting human exposures to this potent neurotoxin.
At a seminar held today to commemorate the 60th anniversary since the official identification in 1956 of the Minamata disease, a neurological problem linked to the consumption of seafood contaminated with methylmercury, the EcoWaste Coalition and other public interest groups rallied all sectors to back measures aimed at curbing mercury emissions, releases and exposures.
Quezon City. A non-profit watch group on toxic chemicals has lauded the fast approaching deadline for the phase-out of lead-containing architectural, household and decorative (AHD) paints on December 31, 2016 as a “victory for children’s health.”
“We are really excited about the impending national ban on lead-added AHD paints as their removal from trade and commerce would help reduce a major source of childhood lead exposure and result in healthier kids,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.