Protecting Ourselves From Toxics Is Too Much Work

Sonya Lunder, Senior Toxics Advisor at the Sierra Club, recently published a science opinion piece in The Guardian reminding readers that the exhausting burden of protecting ourselves from toxic chemicals in our everyday products ought not to fall on consumers. I should know—I’m a toxics vigilante both at work and at home, and most days my efforts feel woefully inadequate. There is just so much to know, and it feels like I’m working against the grain of business as usual in the U.S. I know many identify with me: What parent wouldn’t go to every length possible to protect their child from known chemical risks? But as Lunder points out, “after years of parenting, I’ve come to understand that individual actions,” like avoiding certain products and chemicals, “are temporary, incomplete, and exhausting.”

The problem isn’t that consumers aren’t diligent or careful enough. “If a problem surfaces with a product like dry shampoo,” Lunder says, “we should turn our efforts to getting it off the market, rather than leaning on individual women to fix the problems society is unable or unwilling to solve.” Eliminating—or even curtailing—risk in this country has so far fallen in the lap of consumers and that is an inherently flawed model. “We’ve got to think bigger and demand more from the companies who make chemicals and consumer products. And we’ve got to hold our government accountable to do the same.”

Here’s where we come in: Lunder urges readers to lay off harried moms and pregnant strangers, and instead participate in advocacy groups aimed at developing more protective laws, better regulating industry. Avoiding toxics altogether might be a futile effort, but it’s also true that consumer demand can move the market needle meaningfully. So each time you opt not to buy the noxious dry shampoo (or elect to insulate your house with foam insulation, for example) you’ll be reducing consumer demand for the most toxic products and increasing the market share for better alternatives. Better still, in your spare time (ha!), demand chemical disclosures and plain-language ingredient terms on the products you purchase or are considering. These inquiries make more of an impact on companies then they often care to admit.