News
Avoid hazardous substances outdoors
Summer is just around the corner and thoughts are increasingly turning towards the beach, outdoor sports and hiking. But did you know that the equipment and accessories used for these activities can contain substances of very high concern which affect human health and the environment? Our mission is to tell you how to avoid them….
Playing Safe on the Playground
Springtime is a great time for children to play outside. It’s a good opportunity to try out the new sand molds, shovels, balance bikes or inflatable toys. But did you know those toys and other products for children can contain substances that may interfere with children´s hormone system and cause long-term health effects? When shopping…
Be careful when buying gardening supplies
Springtime is gardening time. Many of us are drawn to the garden again, and there is a lot to do there. But beware: tools and materials can contain problematic substances that can be harmful for health and the environment. In a recent study, the German environmental organisation BUND had gardening products such as pond liners,…
Swim equipment can endanger your fertility
Flip-flops, swim wetsuits, goggles and similar products may contain chemicals of very high concern. Track them down with the app Scan4Chem! On the way to the pool or natural water, we often use bathing shoes or bathing shoes. In the water of the swimming pool, lakes or the sea, we use water wings, snorkels, swimming…
A sustainable Christmas in the kitchen
As Christmas draws nearer, a lot of us will be cracking out our aprons and getting to work cooking up some festive goodies. Whether you’re baking cookies and mince pies to satisfy a sweet tooth, or making Christmas dinner for the whole family, you should make sure to pay attention to your kitchen utensils. With…
A quick guide for avoiding infertility caused by washers, phones and even toasters
Did your TV ever spontaneously combust? Neither did mine, and that’s because of another health and safety issue. Endocrinoraptors – dinosaurs in the present Faults in electronic equipment can easily start a fire because of components overheating or by creating electrical arcs. To prevent flammable plastics from catching fire, manufacturers add a specific group of…
Playing Safe during Christmas time
Christmas time is a wonderful time for children. They are the ones who feel most joy and happiness because of the wonderful toys they find under the Christmas tree. But did you know those toys and often products for children can contain substances that may interfere with children´s hormone system and cause long-term health effects?…
Hazardous Christmas: decoration may contain chemicals that are harmful to health and environment
Christmas time – decoration time: many people like to arrange light chains, Christmas trees and balls in their house and garden in December. Did you ever wonder if the decorative products you buy may contain hazardous chemicals? Christmas decoration containing hazardous chemicals Our recent study found plasticizers in Christmas balls, artificial Christmas trees and light…
Let’s have a sustainable and non-toxic Christmas!
The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner – we love Christmas but even more we love sustainable choices for celebration and festive feeling creating. Have you ever wondered if the decoration products you buy might contain hazardous chemicals? This Christmas campaign wants to save you from potential hazardous presences in…
Launch of the Plastic Diet Campaign
Campaign launch: Plastics and the hidden threat to your health On May 3rd the social media campaign “NonHazCity Plastic Diet – plastics and the hidden threat to your health” will be launched. This campaign aims to push consumption behavior change with the aim to reduce emissions of hazardous substances from plastic products. Products like cloths,…
Seminar: Hazardous Substances in plastics –knowledge and behavior change
On April 14th – 15th, 2021 the NonHazCity consortium organises a virtual seminar called “Hazardous Substances in Plastics – knowledge and behavior change”. This seminar marks the start of the “Plastic Diet” campaign. Plastic is a vector for hazardous substances. The synthetically produced material consists of linear and branched molecular chains and is usually mixed with a cocktail…
Social Media Campaign – The NonHazCity Plastic Diet
The NonHazCity Plastic Diet: 3 May 2021 – 13 June 2021 A tool for reducing emissions and exposure of hazardous substances from everyday use of goods and materials at homes and workplaces in town Plastic is a vector for hazardous substances. The synthetically produced material consists of linear and branched molecular chains and is…
Connecting Sustainable Fishing Tourism and Healthy Environments – On-line conference
Join us to learn more about the link between river restoration measures and fishing tourism in an on-line conference! Results of the RETROUT project will be presented together with expert talks on river restoration and fishing tourism development. We will try to make the conference as interactive as possible given the present conditions. There will…
REPROTOXIC PLASTICISERS FOUND IN SPORTS ARTICLES
In LIFE AskREACH New Year’s-testing 82 samples were analysed and results shows that many sports and leisure articles contain various plasticisers which are harmful to reproduction as well as other substances of concern which are harmful to the environment and human health. The articles tested included gymnastic balls, yoga mats, dumbbells, skipping ropes, swimming utilities, water…
Join us in a workshop for chemicals risk management
On 25th November, 10:00 – 15:00 CET a workshop on “Integration of chemicals risk management into Environmental Management Systems and Standards” will be organized jointly by the LIFE Fit for REACH and the INTERREG NonHazCity projects. In our projects NonHazCity (INTERREG) and Fit for REACH (LIFE) we often came to the conclusion that interlinking chemicals risk management and Environmental Management Systems &…
INTERREG Project Slam: Second Place for NonHazCity
This final gave us a reason to celebrate: Out of five finalists with impressing performances, we are proud to announce that we’ve reached the second place of the INTERREG Project Slam 2020! We thank everyone who voted for us for the great support. Another big thank you goes out to our project partners, the INTERREG…
The new life of the PU foam can
Andrus Ööpik, Peep Tammistu and Karin Viipsi from Henkel Balti development labratory in Pärnu visited with the help of the project LIFE Fit for REACH PDR factory in Germany to discuss future cooperation. Henkel is the leading supplier of the one component polyurethane (PU) foams globally. Their main production facility for PU foam is located in Estonia. Henkel Balti…
RETROUT study visit in Estonia
The aim of the study visit in September 2019 was to present and discuss Estonian RETROUT project sites where restoration works are planned. In addition, examples of previously constructed fish passes were visited and critical aspects of fish pass designs were presented. Linnamäe hydropower station, situated on the lower stretch of the Jägala River, was originally built in 1922-1924….
NonHazCity final conference and results!
The final conference of NonHazCity was held in the end of January in Riga. During those two days exciting discussions about the experiences gained in the project, about project highlights and about specific chemical action plans on different levels (municipality, businesses) took place. There were a lot of ideas to be shared and thoughts reflected…
Less hazardous chemicals in households, pre-schools and municipalities: The NonHazCity project has been finalised
Almost 100 wastewater samples were analysed to define the priority hazardous substances in the municipalities, concluding that traditional pollutants like heavy metals have been successfully managed but organic substances are widely detected – also in residential areas, meaning from residential uses. Almost 50 households were visited by the NonHazCity experts and found hazardous substances in…
International seminar in Riga: “Encourage and Support Enterprises to Minimise the Use of Harmful Substances
Seminar on 23-24(25) October 2018 in RIGA, Latvia. Organised within the frame of the EU-funded projects: INTERREG NonHazCity, LIFE Fit for REACH and LIFE AskREACH The aim of the seminar is to identify how authorities and other stakeholders could help companies to improve their chemicals’ risk management and in particular to minimise their use of…
Regional consultation of Major Groups in preparation of the Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly
The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly will take place from 11-15 March 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya, under the overarching theme “Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production”. The Assembly will be preceded by a Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, bringing together civil society organisation from around the globe….
Eutrophication beyond 2020: Rewriting the old fairy tale – new pathways to a happy ending
A proposal of the H2020 project ResponSEAble to add ocean literacy to EUSBSR Seminar on 4th June 2018, 13:30 – 18:30 (Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel) Accompanying the 9th Annual Forum of the EUSBSR, Tallinn, 4-5 June 2018 In the current EUSBSR eutrophication has been looked at from a bio-physical context: farming causing nutrient…
European Commissioner for the Environment will take part in the campaign Think before you buy
This year, on January 8, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella will visit one of the campaign’s Think before you buy venues in Riga – the construction materials shop K-Rauta – Lucavsala. The campaign is co-financed by LIFE programme, the EU funding instrument. In the frame of the campaign Think…
INVITATION TO THE CONFERENCE ON “THE INTERLINK BETWEEN MSFD AND MSP”
The conference on “The interlink between MSFD and MSP” will be held in Riga, Latvia in October 21-22, 2014. This is a joint conference of two regional projects, “Innovative marine biodiversity indicators and monitoring and assessment of conservation status of nature values in the Baltic Sea” and “Coastal and maritime spatial planning in Pärnu Bay area in Estonia…
Workshop on biodiversity assessment and costs of marine biodiversity monitoring programme
The workshop to exchange experience on integrated, indicator based marine biodiversity assessment schemes and tools and to examine issue on cost implications of introducing new monitoring methods for building policy compliant national monitoring programs for marine biodiversity assessment will be held in Tallinn on 7-8 May, 2014. For additional information please contact: On the programme:…
BICYCLE FILM COMPETITION ENDED WITH A GREAT AWARD CEREMONY
On Saturday the 23rd of November the Estonian video clip competition ended with a great award ceremony and film screening. The special event added up to the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). With the screening hall completely packed, the ceremony was a great success. Our thanks go to the many participants of the competition…