Hot, greasy, toxic: Hazardous substances and food contact materials
Day by day, with our food we ingest substances that can damage our health. On its way from the fields onto our plates, food gets into contact with many different materials: during harvest, processing, packaging and sale processes, and finally in our own kitchens. At each of these steps, food can absorb hazardous substances that eventually end up in our bodies.
How can we as private persons protect ourselves from hazardous substances in food contact materials? How can gastronomy and food catering companies reduce hazardous substances in their kitchens?
In the project, we are producing two brochures and a poster that will support private individuals as well as gastronomy and catering services to move step by step towards healthier kitchens. Additionally, in school workshops, we sensitize teenager about how to avoid hazardous chemicals and motivate them to reflect about their general consumption behaviour.
Scissors, foam, paper: less chemicals, better business
Cleaning and personal care products, textiles, home and office plastic products, electronic devices and many other everyday items contain chemicals, and some of them are carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to the reproduction system. However, very few consumers and business representatives are familiar with the topic or are aware about they can actively reduce hazardous chemicals in their environment.
This project will help the situation! For consumers, we produce and distribute a brochure on hazardous chemicals in plastic, with many practical everyday tips on how to avoid them. Additionally, we inform hairdressers – by means of a brochure, a poster and various workshops – about chemicals in hairdresser shops, as hairdressers are particularly exposed to hazardous chemicals.
Think before you act! Choose products without hazardous substances
Households play a major role in discharging hazardous substances into the public sewage system. Everyday consumption of products containing hazardous substances (such as detergents, personal care products, paints, etc.) turns households into small but many sources of hazardous substances that are released into the environment.
The project aims at sensitizing households in Hamburg about everyday hazardous substances and at motivating behaviour change for reducing them. For this purpose, information about the topic is compiled in various brochures and distributed to private households. The brochures particularly focus on the reduction of hazardous chemicals in daily life, households, during Christmas celebrations and on how to especially protect children.
