The health of the environment and the public are all too often threatened by practices and activities that have seemingly become routine.  VPIRG's environmental health program focuses on two major threats - our ubiquitous exposure to toxic chemicals and the unsustainable way we manage waste.

Reducing Chemical Exposures
Thousands of toxic or poorly tested chemicals are used in our homes, schools, and work places everyday. These toxins are building up in our bodies and are contributing to an alarming trend in public health including increased rates of birth defects and disease.  VPIRG supports federal and state systems laws that use precaution  and account for the damaging impacts of chemicals before harm is done. We are striving for regulatory system that requires the use of the safest alternatives whenever possible.

Getting to Zero Waste
Recycling rates both in Vermont and nationally have stagnated at just over 30%.  At the heart of this problem lies a cradle to grave approach in which products are made, consumed, and disposed (primarily by being landfilled or incinerated).  VPIRG believes that Vermont should break from this mold by embracing an ambitious "zero waste" program that strives for the elimination of waste, rather than simply the management of it.