Exercise your power

• Avoid the purchase of toxic goods, such as PVC plastic. This includes PVC used in packaging, childrens toys, interior furnishings such as wallpapers, vinyl floors, vinyl window blinds, and home refurbishments such as PVC windows, water pipes and cladding.

• Demand the right to know what products are made from. If there is no labelling on the product, ask the store owner or write to the manufacturer demanding clear labelling.

• Ask retailers to replace PVC items with PVC-free materials.

• If you are a parent: avoid buying PVC toys and other children's items made of PVC (raincoats, bags etc.) In particular avoid soft PVC teethers designed to be chewed by infants as there is evidence that additives such as phthalates leak out during use. Return any such items to the retailer that you bought them from and ask for your money back. Ensure that any nurseries or toddler groups you take your child to also don't have PVC toys.

• Avoid chemical pesticides around the home and in the garden. Find out which pesticides your local government uses for weed control and push for chemical-free alternatives.

• Ask for and buy local, organic produce, if you can. Encourage the use of organic food in your children's schools. If you have the option, eat lower on the food chain (choosing more vegetables and less meat and dairy products) to reduce your exposure to toxic contaminants and minimize the use of global resources.

• If you use a commercial clothes cleaning service, find a chlorine-free drycleaner. Ask your local government and drycleaning shop to support and adopt wetcleaning alternatives.

• Ask for and buy totally chlorine-free (TCF) paper products. Encourage the use of TCF paper in your children's school, and at work.

• Refuse to buy over packaged products and consciously reduce consumption of unnecessary products. Avoid disposable items and re-use and recycle where possible. Progressive companies now take back their products when they have reached the end of their use to consumers.

• Ensure your government supports a ban on the priority Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) listed in the global convention on POPs. Email, write, fax and phone your government representative asking them to support a clean materials policy as the way forward for POPS elimination. Visit the Greenpeace internet site for updates on POPS developments and public campaigns.

• Click on public authorities to see how your community can become chlorine and PVC-free. Write to your local authority and your local newspaper urging them to adopt PVC free policies.