For more than four decades, Toxic-Free Future has led the fight for prevention-based laws that protect people, communities, wildlife, and the environment from toxic chemicals, plastics, and pollution.

We have worked alongside environmental and social justice organizations, health professionals, unions, government officials, and state agencies to establish Washington state as a national leader in setting strong protections. Many other states and the federal government have acted following Washington’s lead.

What we’re doing

Conducting research and publishing studies on toxic hazards found in products, people, wildlife, and waterways.
Advocating at the state level to advance strong laws that protect health and the environment, especially the most vulnerable populations and species.
Pressing Washington-based companies to lead by example and adopt policies that result in safer products and less pollution.
Partnering with environmental, faith, labor, health, justice, and community-based organizations as well as people who are highly impacted by exposures to harmful chemicals and pollution.

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WASHINGTON STATE

Key Projects & Priorities

Safer Products for Washington Act

Washington state passed precedent-setting legislation in 2019, the Safer Products for Washington Act. Protecting people and the environment from toxic pollution, this legislation is the nation’s strongest law regulating toxic chemicals in products—a major source of contamination in our homes, food, waterways, and bodies.

Safer Products for Washington image of the Capitol of Olympia

Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act

Washington’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (HB 1047), adopted into law in 2023, bans some of the most concerning chemicals put into cosmetic and personal care products, including PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde releasing agents. It is a first step in the solution to transforming the cosmetic and personal care products industry to make truly safer products.

Washington: Ban Toxic PFAS!

Washington state has been a leader in the nation as the first to ban the entire class of PFAS in food packaging and firefighting foam. It has also taken numerous actions to address contamination and limit PFAS in drinking water. We need urgent action to end remaining uses of PFAS, clean up contamination, and hold polluters accountable.

A group of people standing in a circle, holding cast iron and stainless steel pans

Healthy Housing

Healthier homes are built with healthier materials. U.S. residents spend about 90% of their time indoors, and research shows that the choices made by builders have long-term impacts on the health of the indoor environments they create. From flooring to insulation, caulks to paints, healthier options are available that can reduce the load of toxic chemicals in indoor spaces.

Healthy Communities

In partnership with Seattle and King County Public Health and local community-based organizations, our Healthy Communities work helps to increase awareness of lead hazards in local communities of color and low-income communities that are disproportionately impacted by exposures to lead in their homes and products.

Impact

Our Washington state work has resulted in many years of victories, including more than a dozen laws that have set the bar for the nation.

Some highlights from 40 years of victories include:

2023: Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (HB 1047) was signed by Governor Inslee on May 15, 2023, making it the strongest law in the nation regulating cosmetics and personal care products.

2022: Winning a new law to put Washington on the fastest timeline in the nation to ban PFAS in products. The Department of Ecology moved forward with proposing bans on four chemical classes in 10 product categories under Safer Products for Washington.

2021: Protecting the drinking water for six million people in Washington from PFAS by getting the state to adopt action levels in response to a 2017 petition.

2019: Winning Safer Products for Washington, a landmark law leading the country in quickly assessing harmful chemicals in key products, resulting in regulatory action. As a result of this program, our state is set to put first-in-the-world bans in place, including PFAS in numerous products, phthalates in fragrances, bisphenols in thermal paper and beverage cans, and organohalogen flame retardants in casings of all indoor electronics.

2018: Kicking off a cascade of state laws addressing the entire class of PFAS with legislation banning PFAS in food packaging and firefighting foam.

2016: Passed legislation banning toxic flame retardants in children’s products and furniture, helping lead the charge to eliminate flame retardants from these product classes entirely.

2008: Fast action to address toxic chemicals like lead in children’s products with the Children’s Safe Products Act, followed the same year by similar legislation in several other states and Congress.