“We can buy toys from numerous retailers, yet we do not usually consider their chemical composition and possible harmful effects. This campaign reminded me to think twice before I buy a new toy for my child, and to choose smartly”, said one mother during the ‘Fight to know!’ campaign in Serbia.
Children are particularly at risk from the hazards that chemicals can pose in our daily lives, as they can place plastic toys into their mouths and increase exposure.
In response, the ‘Fight to know!’ campaign sought to support consumers’ rights to be informed of the presence of substances of concern in products in Serbia. A survey was first carried out among retailers, followed by a laboratory analysis of products purchased.
As a result of these tests, further controls were carried out and products containing prohibited amounts of phthalates (>0.1%) – used to make plastics stronger and more flexible - were removed from the market, given their potential health risks. Their production and distribution was also banned.
Some consumers sent products back to distributors, who noted how the campaign had also raised awareness among staff. Serbia’s helpdesk furthermore received a surge in enquiries from both consumers and traders.
“This campaign helped expand not only mine, but also my family’s knowledge on safer alternatives, chemical health effects, and pictograms,” said Jovanka Nikolic of one of the three consumer associations in Serbia involved in the project.
The ‘Capacity Building and Strategic Partnerships for Chemicals Safety in the Republic of Serbia’ project falls under the Quick Start Programme managed by UN Environment. It was executed by the Ministry for Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia with support from the United Nations Development Programme and partners between April 2015 and October 2016.
Find out more about the chemicals that can be found in toys and their regulation on p.96 and p.243-244, and more on chemical pollution in our region from p.237-239 of the sixth Global Environment Outlook report for the pan-European region.
Boost your knowledge on topical environmental issues and how they affect our daily lives!
Every week, UN Environment in Europe brings you a #FridayFact showing how our work concretely helps moves towards sustainable societies, with #noBlabla.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to discover our weekly fact every Friday and our #noBlabla stories - @UNEPinEurope.
