ToxFree LIFE for All raises awareness through telling stories and presenting accurate laboratory measurements about products and the harmful substances these may contain. In the framework of the project, we invite citizens to take part in behaviour change programs and public actions. The experts of the ToxFree LIFE for All will share our results and position papers with policy and market decision makers on the local and European level. Our project aims to contribute to the restriction and phasing out of chemicals of concern.

Why we care about chemicals of concern? 

We believe that demand may drive supply on the market and demand is shaped primarily through information dissemination. Therefore, the ToxFree LIFE for All project informs and empowers consumers for the successful transition towards toxic free lives and environment.  

When consumers access information and are empowered, it becomes easier for them to make the right choices improving their health and contributing to a greener economy at the same time.  

Increased public attention and demand will incentivise producers to switch to less harmful, more sustainable alternatives. Those producers who miss responding to increased public concern and fail to substitute or eliminate the most harmful substances will miss out on promising market opportunities and will lose consumer trust, and thus markets.  

The impact of consumer choices 

Markets as governing structures can only function if consumers are not only aware, but also well informed and willing to act for the public good as citizens.

If these conditions apply and information facilitates behaviour change, the impact of ToxFree consumer choices will be threefold.

First, consumers can reduce exposure and risk autonomously in their own lives, they avoid buying those products that (may) contain harmful chemicals. Second, they signal market demand for safe and sustainable products and new consumer sensitivity towards the market players – using the leverage of local and international consumer organisations. Finally, they signal citizen awareness; they approve and justify policies aiming at phasing out substances of concern.  

In focus: awareness raising and behaviour change 

We raise awareness in the Central and Eastern European region about the environmental and health impacts of chemicals of concern in consumers goods and alternatives by reaching at least 11.950.000 individuals.  

We expect that by the end of ToxFree LIFE for All, 103.100 consumers will more actively seek for pre-purchasing information, avoid products with harmful substances, choose alternatives or otherwise change their behaviour to reduce chemical exposure. 

In focus: contributing to changing the framework conditions 

Partners will mobilize citizens to support policies to phase out or eliminate substances of concern; they will provide insights into policy making by presenting test research findings. We will build partnership with civil society organisations and projects across Europe with the aim of reducing human and environmental exposure to chemicals. 

Key activities

Within ToxFree LIFE for All partners will 

• publish local and coordinated comparative product tests about the most critical and suspicious chemical substances in products;
• publish contents in their consumer magazines and websites about risky chemical substances and possible escape strategies for consumers; 
• mobilize citizens to support progressive policies aiming at the restriction and phasing out of chemical substances of concern;
• run engagement, behaviour change and educational programs to help consumers to make better, toxfree lifestyle choices;
• build partnership with organisations that are willing to share our agenda to join forces for a toxfree world;
• publish briefings and position papers to address decision makers.

Where 

The ToxFree LIFE for All project takes place in Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.  

The team 

Partners together have more than 100 years of experience in product testing, consumer communication and mobilizing.  

Coordinator 

Tudatos Vásárlók Egyesülete (Association of Conscious Consumers, HU) 

Partners

Arnika (Czechia) 

dTest (Czechia) 

Zveza Potrosnikov Slovenije Drustvo (Slovenia) 

Verein für Konsumenteninformation (Austria) 

Foreseen budget: 

1.998.557 EUR  

Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Czechia 

LIFE22-GIE-HU-ToxFree LIFE for All, 101114078

Co-funded by the European Union. 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. LIFE22-GIE-HU-ToxFree LIFE for All, 101114078. Co-funded by the Hungarian Ministry of Energy (Z1230232)