Patagonia, Lululemon and other brands are starting to ditch dangerous 'forever chemicals' in outdoor apparel.
Patagonia Inc. has spent nearly a decade rejiggering its supply chain, redesigning products and dumping millions of dollars into a high-stakes trial-and-error process that’s nearly complete.Patagonia, like practically every other outdoor apparel company, has long relied on per- or polyfluorinated chemicals — PFAS for short — to make its products water-resistant.The problem is that these chemicals, also known as fluorochemicals, PFC chemicals or forever chemicals, are toxic.
These chemicals can repel water as well as, if not better than, any alternative, he said. If water is poured on a textile treated with PFAS, it just rolls or beads off. And unlike the alternatives, fluorochemicals also effectively repel oil, dirt and other stains.Outdoor apparel retailer Patagonia is aiming for all products on its shelves to be PFC-free by the end of 2024.
That campaign had an effect on apparel makers in Europe: Jack Wolfskin announced its clothing, packs and bags were “100% PFC-free” by mid-2019; Vaude Sport announced its clothes and gear were PFC-free by 2020; and Haglofs is now “95% PFC free.” But in the U.S., and the rest of the world, an abundance of rain gear and outdoor equipment with PFAS is still in circulation.
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