New PlasticFree Babies campaign urges government action on plastic chemicals in baby products

A Plastic Planet has launched PlasticFree Babies, a global campaign calling first on the UK government to reduce babies' exposure to potentially toxic chemicals from plastic products during the first 1000 days of life.

Backed by leading scientists and clinicians, the campaign argues that while peer reviewed research on the impact of chemicals in plastic has grown rapidly in recent years, regulation has not kept pace to protect health.

The first 1000 days, from conception to age two, are widely recognised by medical professionals as the most critical period of human development. During this time, organs are forming, hormones are directing growth and the foundations for lifelong health are being established. 

Yet evidence suggests babies are routinely exposed to chemicals associated with plastics through feeding bottles, pacifiers, bedding, mattresses and even before birth through placental transfer. 

The campaign argues that an urgent cross government call for evidence is needed to bring together the latest scientific research with practical industry and healthcare expertise on how safer alternatives can be scaled without increasing costs for families.

The launch comes as new polling of 2000 UK adults reveals over eight in 10 parents (83%) believe the government should take action to reduce those exposures, with 69% of people are concerned about babies' exposure to chemicals from plastic baby products. 

Approximately the same proportion (82%) believe manufacturers and retailers should offer affordable non plastic alternatives to products such as feeding bottles, dummies and teethers. 

Researchers have identified links between exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and reproductive disorders, neurodevelopmental effects, metabolic disease and hormone related cancers. However, less than half of parents (43%) when polled were aware that some plastic baby products can release chemicals that are potentially harmful to infants. 

Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, said: ‘This is not about blaming parents. It is about recognising that families should only be sold products that are safe by design. Parents deserve clear information, affordable choices and a regulatory system that puts children’s health first.

‘The good news is that many safer alternatives already exist. What is missing is the political urgency to act.’

At the centre of the campaign's concern are endocrine disrupting chemicals, including bisphenols, phthalates and PFAS ('forever chemicals'), a group of substances found across everyday plastic baby products that research suggests can interfere with the body's hormonal system.

Peer reviewed research highlights that baby bottles and sippy cups can release chemicals BPA, BPS and other bisphenols even when marketed as ‘BPA free’, while polypropylene feeding bottles can release up to 16.2 million microplastic particles per litre during formula preparation. Heat and sterilisation increase migration.

A 2026 study found a dummy labelled ‘BPA free’ released the highest amount of BPA. Even the lowest leaching pacifiers exceeded safe daily limits by up to 50 fold; the worst exceeded them by 11,600 fold. Infants spend 12 to 16 hours daily in contact with mattresses, sheets and blankets that can emit volatile organic compounds, phthalates and flame retardants. 

The concern is not microplastics alone according to the campaign. It is the wider group of chemicals included in plastic that can migrate, leach or shed from products during heating, sterilisation, contact or prolonged use.  

Dr Dolly Van Tulleken, visiting scientist, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, said: ‘As a mother of two young children, I am sitting where millions of parents sit – sterilising bottles, choosing dummies, picking a mattress, buying teethers and toys – with no real way of knowing the harm all this plastic is causing my babies. That gap between what the research shows and what parents are told is not acceptable. 

‘We ask families to make safe choices, but we surround them with almost all plastic options and don’t give them the information, transparency or affordable alternatives. It is time for government to make the plastic free option a reality and address the plastic health crisis impacting our children.’

Safe alternatives already exist for many products, including glass, stainless steel, medical grade silicone and natural fibre materials, however these options are often more expensive to purchase from retailers. The campaign argues that parents should not carry the burden of navigating complex chemical risks alone or pay a premium for safer options with government action needed to enact greater safety standards for industry. 

In the European Union regulators have already moved further to restrict certain chemicals in products used by babies and young children. The EU’s wider chemicals strategy targets endocrine disruptors, chemical mixtures and PFAS, and its new Toy Safety Regulation will restrict endocrine disruptors, PFAS and certain bisphenols in toys after transition periods. California has also prohibited bisphenols above trace levels in juvenile feeding bottles and sucking or teething products

The UK already has legislative mechanisms available to act such as UK REACH regulations or the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which allowed for restrictions on products such as plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers.

Following an urgent call for evidence, the campaign is urging a package of reform including mandatory testing of chemicals included in baby products, clear labelling, and phased bans of certain products such as plastic feeding bottles or teethers. 

Professor Mehul Dattani, head of paediatric endocrinology at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, said: ‘Growing scientific concern around the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on developing endocrine glands has raised important questions about how we protect children during the sensitive 1000 days developmental window. 

‘Bringing together the latest scientific evidence alongside industry expertise is the next step towards understanding where risks exist and how they can be reduced. Children deserve the highest standard of protection during the earliest stages of life in order to ensure that they develop normally and remain healthy in childhood, adolescence and as young adults.’