Sweden-a pioneer on sound chemical and waste management

Sweden-a pioneer on sound chemical and waste management
Chemicals are an integral part of our lives and are present in most of the products we use every day in our homes. In the bathroom for example, formaldehyde often sits in shampoo, microbeads in toothpaste, phthalates in nail polish and antimicrobials in soaps, while the medicine cabinet contains a myriad of synthetic pharmaceuticals. In the kitchen, a juicy strawberry may carry traces of up to 20 different pesticides. Perfumed bin-liners and air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds that can make you nauseous and give you a headache. And the list goes on…While chemicals bring many benefits, the dramatic increase in both the variety and total number of manufactured chemicals means that it is crucial to manage their life cycles and ensure that they do not end up negatively impacting human health and the environment.