Fast fashion contributes to microplastic pollution, The Post and Courier reports. Synthetic textiles shed plastic fibers into waterways. ESDO found toxic PFAS pollution near textile plants in Bangladesh. 🔗 P&C report: https://ow.ly/muQy50YYytm 🔗 IPEN/ESDO report: https://ow.ly/oGNb50YYytn

🚨 Annual Report Highlight! In 2025, IPEN’s work helped deliver progress on toxic chemicals through coordinated action across our global network. 🔜 More highlights coming soon. 📄 Read more: https://ipen.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ipen-2025-annual-report.pdf

Chemical recycling facilities may emit hazardous air pollutants, according to reporting by Jennifer McDermott for the The Associated Press, raising concerns about regulation and impacts of the technology. 🔗 https://ow.ly/v46B50YY3sN 🔗 https://ow.ly/ZwqB50YY3sO

IPEN’s new website highlights the work of its global network, with direct links to Regional Hubs, Member Updates, and more. Explore how IPEN Participating Organizations work together to advance a toxics free future. 🔗 ipen.org

Rare earth mining is putting communities at risk, with concerns over toxic exposure, environmental damage, and unsafe working conditions, a recent DW video report warns. 🔗 https://www.dw.com/en/rare-earth-mining-puts-people-at-risk/video-76837904

IPEN’s 2025 Annual Report is here! In 2025, IPEN and its global network advanced work to protect health and the environment from toxic chemicals and pollution. 🔜 Follow along for key highlights from the report. 📄 Read the report: https://ow.ly/ZJW050YXRCZ

IPEN member EARTH Thailand warns that delays in advancing a national PRTR bill are limiting public access to information on toxic releases amid worsening pollution concerns. 🔗 https://earththailand.org/en/2026/04/28/government-urged-to-take-urgent-action-on-pending-prtr-bill-amid-pollution-crisis/

A study highlighted by Futurity reports that plastic recycling facilities may release toxic chemicals, including endocrine disrupting phthalates, into nearby water systems. The findings add to concerns about risks linked to plastic recycling. 🔗 https://ow.ly/iVTO50YWFpo

Join a webinar marking 70 years since the Minamata tragedy. Mercury remains a real threat, including in Indonesia, with risks to health and the environment. 🗓 May 8 | 13:30–15:30 (GMT+7) 🔗 Register: https://ow.ly/hgE850YVKzs

Take a deeper dive into IPEN’s new website. Explore global policy work, national action, and scientific research, plus: ➡️ IPEN’s mission ➡️ Key issue areas ➡️ Network & regional hubs ➡️ Publications & research More highlights coming soon. 🔗 ipen.org

At the recent IPEN Global Meeting, Alexei Poltavets of Peshsaf in Tajikistan shared his work to end toxic threats from discarded pesticides, protecting communities from the toxic health hazards from pesticide stockpiles. 🔗 Global Meeting recap: https://ipen.org/articles/ipen-global-meeting

Plastic recycling systems can generate unintended impacts. An investigation by Mongabay journalist Ravleen Kaur suggests that certain recycling processes may release additional pollutants and create secondary chemical exposure risks. 🔗 https://ow.ly/GlmV50YUgVF

María Isabel Cárcamo is an IPEN Steering Committee member from RAPAL Uruguay and an avid distance runner who attended the recent IPEN Global Meeting. Hear about her work to end plastic waste from large running events. 🔗 Full recap of the Global Meeting: https://ipen.org/articles/ipen-global-meeting

Join an upcoming webinar on environmental, health, and safety concerns at Samsung Electronics’ Vietnam facility, based on whistleblower documents. 📅 May 7 | 11am CEST 💻 Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7n-ugwYeTXqP67TEU5xcMA#/registration

We’re excited to share that IPEN has a new website! The new site makes it easier to explore our global work, access research, and connect with our network working to address toxic chemicals and pollution. 🔗 Check out the new site at www.ipen.org

A court decision has denied justice to survivors of Minamata disease, leaving many without recognition or compensation for mercury poisoning. The ruling underscores ongoing failures and the need for accountability and support. 🔗 Read our statement: https://ow.ly/qVkt50YQqXX

What’s really in our period products? Join us for a joint webinar with @wecf.org on 28 April to explore what the latest evidence means for our health and what needs to change. Book now, here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #MenstrualHealth #ToxicFree

Thank you to everyone who joined the 2026 IPEN Global Meeting! It was a powerful week of collaboration, strategy, and shared learning with partners from around the world working to address toxic chemicals and pollution. 🔗 Read the full recap: https://ipen.org/articles/ipen-global-meeting

Checking in from the IPEN Global Meetings! Meet Mark Peñalver from IDIS. They’re fighting a proposed waste-to-energy incinerator in Davao City to stop toxic air pollution from plastic burning. Stay updated on the Global Meetings: https://ipen.org/articles/ipen-global-meeting

Dyah Paramita from CRPG in Indonesia is attending the IPEN Global Meetings for the first time. After her husband experienced mercury poisoning linked to dental amalgam, she advocates for awareness in Indonesia. Follow updates: https://ipen.org/articles/ipen-global-meeting

Tunisia is facing growing waste management challenges due to limited infrastructure and delays in treatment facilities, TAP News Agency reports. Officials warn gaps in capacity are contributing to environmental and public health risks as waste continues to accumulate. 🔗 https://ow.ly/j4nX50YGXLa

Congratulations to the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize winners! These six extraordinary women show that you don’t have to cross oceans to find environmental leadership—you might find it next door. #ChangeStartsWhereYouStand Discover their stories: goldmanprize.org/2026#ChangeStartsWhereYouStand #GoldmanPrize

Concerns are growing about toxic waste and industrial pollution along the US-Mexico border, where weak enforcement and oversight gaps are driving disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities, UN expert Marcos Orellana told The Guardian. 🔗 https://ow.ly/3GQB50YH0UT

Following new analysis from NYU Langone Health, an interactive map shows the global health burden linked to phthalates, chemicals common in many plastics, highlighting regional differences in exposure and impacts. 🔗 https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/sara.hyman2333/viz/shared/T9JKC7G2

The 2026 The Goldman Environmental Prize winners will be announced on Monday, April 20! Watch the ceremony live on the #GoldmanPrize YouTube channel on Monday, April 20, at 5:30 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT. More at goldmanprize.org/ceremony#GoldmanPrize #ChangeStartsWhereYouStand

A Nature study found plastics can contain any of more than 16,000 different chemicals, a quarter of which may pose health concerns. When burned in low-tech furnaces, researchers say the dangers multiply.

A new analysis from Leonardo Trasande and the team at NYU Langone Health highlights the global health burden linked to phthalates, chemicals common in many plastics, pointing to widespread exposure and impacts on human health. 🔗 https://ow.ly/WkXW50YIK7Z

After we found lead poisoning, a battery recycling factory in the Republic of Congo was shut down. Officials promised medical care and a cleanup and @who.int offered to help, but since then, residents have heard nothing. Read the full story 👇

You don’t have to cross oceans to find environmental leadership—you might find it next door. The 2026 The Goldman Environmental Prize winners will be announced April 20, highlighting leaders driving change in their communities. 📅 April 20 | ⏰ 5:30pm PDT | 8:30pm EDT goldmanprize.org/ceremony

Join a virtual side event at Escazú COP4 on implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to support efforts to mitigate pollution. The session will explore how PRTRs strengthen transparency and access to environmental information. 📅 April 22 | 3pm CEST 💻 https://ow.ly/kK6X50YGVlB

New research reported by Garret Ellison for MLive finds PFAS exposure may weaken the body’s immune response to vaccines, including COVID-19. Scientists say this adds to growing evidence that these “forever chemicals” can interfere with immune function. 🔗 https://ow.ly/brls50YGULl

A UCLA Health study found long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos is linked to a 2.5x higher risk of Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, it is still used in many countries. IPEN contributed to its addition to the Stockholm Convention list for global ban. 🔗 https://ow.ly/trZb50YGCX5

Webinar tomorrow on plastic’s impact on human health, covering emerging science, policy, and effects on the body. Hosted by Plastic Pollution Coalition, featuring the co-director of The Plastic Detox. 📅 April 9 | 5pm EDT | 11pm CEST 💻 Register here: https://ow.ly/ZsFj50YFI9N

IUCN shares reports on efforts in Ghana to tackle plastic pollution while protecting biodiversity, where mismanaged plastic waste threatens ecosystems, wildlife, and livelihoods. IPEN highlights related risks in its own report. 🔗 https://ow.ly/AosT50YEoKb 📄 https://ow.ly/sXFV50YEoKc

“Green” mineral mining is expanding in Southeast Asia, contaminating rivers and threatening communities that rely on them, reports Deutsche Welle. IPEN’s report From Pristine to Polluted highlights impacts on river communities. 🔗 Watch: https://ow.ly/yaKj50YEoxO 📄 Read: https://ow.ly/72On50YEoxQ

Glyphosate detected in baby cereal in South Africa is prompting calls for a ban, reports Mongabay. Advocates warn infants are especially vulnerable to exposure through food. IPEN also reports on highly hazardous pesticides. 🔗 https://ow.ly/byhv50YE53o 📄 https://ow.ly/EqYw50YE53n

Residents exposed to PFAS call for stronger drinking water protections, citing health concerns and long term impacts, according to Alaska Public Media. Alaska Community Action on Toxics documents impacts of PFAS contamination in Alaska. 🔗 https://ow.ly/G0UW50YE4NL 📄 https://ow.ly/uYn250YE4NG

Rising levels of plasticizer chemicals, including phthalates, have been detected in children in Germany, according to Deutsche Welle. IPEN has published studies from 15 countries on these impacts. 🔗 https://ow.ly/ugKy50YCRbl 📄 https://ow.ly/oBZT50YCRbm

Discover the science behind the documentary The Plastic Detox in this free webinar presented by Beyond Plastics. Experts will discuss the film’s “detox” experiment, plastics’ health impacts, and global trends. 📅 May 7 | 7pm EDT | 1am CEST 🔗 Click to register: https://ow.ly/RSYG50YAKki

The Guardian reports that thousands of mining tailings dams worldwide, filled with toxic waste, risk catastrophic failure. When they burst, they release poisonous sludge into rivers, ecosystems, and downstream communities. 🔗 https://ow.ly/1IR850YAIls

Plastic waste from domestic and imported sources is polluting Türkiye’s waters, Mongabay reports. Environmental groups warn it risks becoming a dumping ground for global plastic waste without stronger controls. 🔗 https://ow.ly/7VOg50YAGr9

Reporting from Climate Home News highlights a roadmap to revive stalled global plastics treaty talks. After months of deadlock, diplomats will meet this year ahead of formal negotiations in 2026 or 2027. 🔗 https://ow.ly/lzYm50YAERE

A report from Yale Environment 360 examines how decades of mining in Zambia have left communities exposed to dangerous levels of heavy metals. Lead contamination is linked to neurological damage, developmental delays, and long term health impacts. Click to learn more: https://ow.ly/VwnS50YAoHc

Join the CHE webinar "Plastics, Chemicals & Infertility: What We Know Now" with Dr. Shanna Swan, covering fertility trends, environmental exposures, and a “detox” experiment from a recent documentary. 📅 April 2 | 1pm EDT | 7pm CEST 🔗 https://www.healthandenvironment.org/che-webinars/97127

Join a webinar hosted by the World Bank and UNITAR on reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining and learn about technologies that can reduce or eliminate mercury use in ASGM and protect communities. 🗓 Wednesday, April 1 ⏰ 8am EDT | 2pm CEST 🔗 https://ow.ly/YGGh50YziSw

New reporting from CNN’s Kristen Rogers links PFAS “forever chemicals” to lower bone density in children, raising concerns about long-term health impacts. Scientists say even low-level exposure early in life may have lasting effects. Click to learn more: https://ow.ly/ZwjZ50YyNmu

1EUobserver reports that current EU rules allow plastic products to be labeled as “recycled” even when they contain as little as 2–5% recycled content, raising concerns about misleading claims and greenwashing: euobserver.com/206325/how-t...

IPEN’s technical advisor Lee Bell shares his perspective on the realities behind chemical recycling and how it's used as a propaganda tool in his recent appearance on the Living Planet podcast. Listen here: https://www.dw.com/en/houston-we-have-a-plastic-problem/audio-76432935

The Green Forum shared a post that draws on a recent presentation and remarks that Dr Therese Karlsson, Science and Technical Advisor at IPEN, delivered during a GGKP webinar held on 24 February 2026. Read here: thegreenforum.org/blog/awarene...

IPEN women celebrate International Women's Day!