Are school uniforms poisoning British children?
Calls to ban school uniforms laced with “forever chemicals” over fears kids are breathing in plastic.
School uniforms packed with dangerous “forever chemicals” could be banned under new laws after bombshell claims they’re poisoning our kids.
Health campaigners and green experts are urging Lords to back two amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would see toxic materials like Pfas kicked out of classrooms for good.
Pfas—or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are a group of super-durable chemicals used in school uniforms to make them stain and water resistant. But experts warn they don’t just stick around in the fabric—they stick around in our bodies too.
And the effects could be terrifying.
Linked to everything from cancer and infertility to immune system problems, kidney disease, and birth defects, these nasty substances are now being dubbed a “toxic cocktail” by worried scientists.
Green peer Natalie Bennett warned that kids are being exposed daily to a deadly mix of Pfas, pesticides, and plastic particles just by wearing their blazers to school.
She said: “We’re on a poisoned planet, and we’re poisoning our own bodies.”
One amendment to the bill would see an instant ban on Pfas in uniforms, plus a new rule forcing manufacturers to come clean about what chemicals are in their products through a digital product passport.
A second amendment would demand action within a year on any uniforms made from artificial fibres that could endanger kids’ health or the environment.
Right now, a shocking 64% of clothing worldwide is made from synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, most of them derived from petrochemicals that can take thousands of years to break down.
Studies have shown these synthetic uniforms shed billions of microplastic fibres, not just when washed, but even during regular wear.
One horrifying finding revealed that just 20 minutes of wearing a uniform could release up to 400 plastic fibres per gram of fabric, meaning pupils could be breathing in plastic just by running for the school bus.
And it’s not just in the air. These tiny toxic fibres have already been found in lungs, blood, breast milk, testicles and even the brain.
Dr David Santillo, a senior scientist at Greenpeace, said: “Most parents are probably not aware that the uniforms their children are required to wear may be treated with a mix of forever chemicals … Only a ban on the whole group will be effective”.
Campaigners want the UK to catch up with EU chemical safety standards, which were weakened after Brexit.
Ruth Chambers from the Green Alliance said: “Toxic chemicals in school uniforms are yet another example of why we need stronger chemicals laws … The government should commit to catch up with EU standards … and it should work towards fully banning the use of these harmful chemicals to protect people and nature”.
All the while these Pfas polluters have been allowed to profit at our expense while the government spends its time banning people for posting supposed hate speech on social media or holding common-sense opinions. When will ordinary people be put before big business?