Consumers demand safer products: new survey reveals alarming concerns over hidden chemicals
A new multi-country survey by the „ToxFree LIFE for All” partnership reveals widespread consumer concern over hidden chemical hazards in everyday products, driving a clear demand for greater transparency, stricter regulations, and pre-market testing to protect public health and the environment.
The „ToxFree LIFE for All” partnership conducted an online survey to understand public awareness of toxic substances in products that affect health and the environment. The survey gathered responses from Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic in 2024 and in spring 2025. The partnership unites leading consumer organizations from Hungary (Association of Conscious Consumers), Austria (Verein für Konsumenteninformation), Slovenia (Zveza Potrosnikov Slovenije Drustvo), and Czechia (dTest), alongside the Czech environmental policy organization, Arnika.
Their mission is to raise public awareness about harmful chemicals in everyday products and to advocate for progressive policies that protect both people and the planet from these substances.
In 2024, the partnership made headlines by publishing a comparative product test that uncovered endocrine-disrupting bisphenols in one third of the underwear tested (click here for the test results). Their upcoming test, set for release in Autumn 2025, will expose unwanted chemical contamination in headphones.
Public awareness on chemicals on the rise
According to the survey results, the ToxFree LIFE for All campaign and its test publication contributed to increasing public awareness of the environmental and health impact of chemicals, also prompting further interest in information. The survey revealed a visible growing trend in respondents considering themselves well-informed about harmful chemical content in products. In 2025, 17% of respondents considered themselves well-informed, up from 15% in 2024. The rate of people feeling not sufficiently informed declined from 46% to 41%.
Consumers seek deeper understanding of specific chemical threats
While respondents felt most informed regarding microplastics, demand for further information on this topic still increased. The need for information also grew concerning Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs), which have serious and often irreversible adverse effects on human health or the environment, and „forever chemicals,” which are synthetic chemicals known for their extreme persistence. Additionally, carcinogens were identified as the substances about which people most sought information.
High concern drives trust in sustainable products
Consumers are highly concerned about potentially harmful chemicals found in everyday products like detergents, cosmetics, personal care items, children’s products, textiles, furniture, and food packaging. This concern is matched by growing trust in sustainable brands; in 2025, 42% of respondents believed green and sustainable products are safer and contain fewer harmful chemicals than conventional ones, up from 36% in 2024. If a product was found to contain harmful chemical substances, 40% of people would look for substitutes or would give up buying if there is no substitute. Notably, 26% would not buy these products at all.
Calling for policy change: consumers demand stricter regulations
Consumers face a significant challenge under current regulations, struggling to make choices that protect their health and the environment. As Dr. Júlia Dénes form The Association of Conscious Consumers explains, „They have free choice on the market, but it’s extremely complicated to make right choices that will not cause harm to their health or to the environment. Consumers are not natural-born chemists, and there is no information of the harmful chemical substances on the product labels. So it is almost impossible to make right choices”. This explains why 70% of people support banning harmful substances in products, and two-thirds also would welcome more information on products and advocate for pre-market testing.
Responding to the public’s demand for stricter regulation, the ToxFree LIFE for All campaign launched a petition already in 2024, urging decision-makers to implement stronger chemical policies at the European level. The petition is available HERE!
Funded by the EU LIFE Programme (LIFE22-GIE-HU-ToxFree LIFE for All, 101114078). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.