The American Sustainable Business Council Businesses Calls for an End to Preventable Childhood Cancers
“Childhood Cancer” Report Builds The Business Case For Systemic Change
WASHINGTON, DC, September 23, 2020 – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) joined the rally cry to end preventable childhood cancers, encouraging business leaders to take action to support The Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative, a collaborative effort to improve children’s health by widely sharing the evidence about the impacts of toxic chemicals on children, as well as opportunities for preventing childhood cancer by removing toxic chemicals from products and environments where children live, learn and play.
A new report released today, Childhood Cancer: Cross-sectoral Strategies for Prevention, details the state of childhood cancer in America. Since 1975, the incidence rate of childhood cancers has increased by 34% and cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States. The report, co-created by a team of more than 40 stakeholders and leaders in the Health, Science, Business, Policy and Advocacy sectors, highlights mitigative strategies and builds the business case for a joint business initiative to greatly reduce the causes of childhood cancer.
“To defeat childhood cancer, we can and must end the production and use of toxic chemicals,” said David Levine, Co-founder and President of the American Sustainable Business Council. “Some businesses have a role in cancer causation – and now it is time for all businesses to play a powerful role in accelerating our transition to safer chemicals and products free of toxic chemicals.”
Responsible businesses are joining with scientists, health professionals, parents and policy experts to raise awareness that many childhood cancers are likely preventable, and that it is time to take action. “The burden to protect one’s self and one’s children from toxic chemicals should not be placed on the general public,” said Joey Bergstein, CEO of Seventh Generation. “t is our collective moral duty to protect the health and well-being of future generations.”
Member businesses and investors are calling for all companies to commit to producing and using safer materials and products that don’t make children sick or cause cancer and to support public policies to regulate toxic chemicals and incentivize safer chemicals. The coalition is asking government to fund cancer prevention research and monitor children’s exposures to toxic chemicals and pollution to enable appropriate actions.
The exceptional businesses highlighted in the Childhood Cancer Report, and many more of equal mind, have purposefully and profitably put their willingness into action.
“The only way to really stop cancer in children is to stop the use of toxic chemicals in children’s products,” said Barry Cik, Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic, who advocates a new approach to preventing the use of toxic chemicals. “What this really means is that if you’re a manufacturer of children’s products, and particularly chemicals that go into children’s products, then you’re ‘guilty until proven innocent’. After you prove and have verified that your product is safe, then, and only then, should you be free to manufacture and sell it.”
“Children are our most precious gift,” said Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President & CEO of ECOS®. “We want to champion change in the cleaning products industry to protect them. The science is irrefutable—toxic chemicals are responsible for an increase in childhood cancers. All cleaning product manufacturers must join us to innovate safer green chemistry and create safer cleaning products for homes, daycare facilities and classrooms.”
As manufacturers we have a duty to manufacture safe products and help eradicate childhood cancer,” said Kari Warberg Block, CEO, Founder of EarthKind. “Nature has an answer for everything and that answer isn’t bringing harmful chemicals into our homes. As part of a poison and kill industry, our mission has been to innovate non-toxic solutions and to collaborate with other pest control companies to influence the same. We believe in providing a safe environment for our children where they can live, play and learn without getting sick. As manufacturers we have a duty to manufacture safe products and help eradicate childhood cancer.”
Business Leaders & Investors are available for interviews.
About The Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative
The Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative is a collaborative effort to improve children’s health by engaging scientists and health professionals to review and interpret research; helping manufacturers and retailers drive a shift in business practices; and encourage elected officials to implement responsible state and federal policies. We will learn from the experiences of parents, workers, businesses and communities, and provide them with information and tools to avoid exposure to potentially dangerous substances and exercise their power to shift the marketplace. To learn more or to join the initiative, For more information about the initiative contact: ChildhoodCancerPrevention@asbcouncil.org