Why more brands will become PFAS-free in 2025

The Environmental Protection Agency this year issued maximum standards for PFAS in drinking water. Water systems must also provide the public with information on the levels of these PFAS in their drinking water beginning in 2027. Meanwhile, a patchwork of state-level bans prevents the chemicals from use in a myriad other categories like household products, firefighting gear, and cosmetics. Safer States, a nonprofit that advocates for banning toxic chemicals, counts at least 155 adopted state-level PFAS bans across the country. And come 2026, other states may have similar apparel bans come online.

However, such regulatory action means brands and retailers have to reassess how they make their products, let alone figure out what to do with potentially unsellable merchandise. Some brands may have difficulties finding new suppliers or replacements for apparel containing PFAS.

Kirstin Blackburn, director of Keen’s social impact arm, The Keen Effect, said it may be challenging for some brands to comply with the deadline given how widespread PFAS are. When Keen’s products went PFAS-free in 2018, it learned PFAS could be in certain components of a product, like a toe box. Sometimes, it wasn’t even needed. “We found that it was in dozens and dozens of places unknowingly, and maybe not in areas that needed a durable water repellency,” she said. “It was sprayed as like a lubricant or a stain resistor, even in molding or manufacturing pieces. So it’s pretty invasive and pervasive, and it’s added to places that folks aren’t even asking.”

This sort of analysis makes getting rid of PFAS a long process. While Keen’s products went PFAS-free in 2018, it took until 2022 to get it out of packaging. Blackburn said some companies may not have time to switch up their existing inventory. “It’s tricky to find out what you do with contaminated inventory and how you make the transition quickly,” she said. “Oftentimes, products that the footwear industry or apparel industry are producing are manufactured in advance of them hitting the shelves or being purchased.”

Finding new sources

Cassie Abel, CEO and founder of women’s technical apparel brand Wild Rye, has sold PFAS-free clothing for several years. But she said her company has met with retailers that have to clear out existing inventory before bringing in her brand’s new outerwear collection that doesn’t include any PFAS. “It underlines so many issues with the concept of consumption in general,” she said. “’We have this stuff, so we have to sell this stuff, even though it’s not the stuff we want to be selling anymore.’ It’s maddening.”

Making the switch may also be challenging for brands because of the fabrics they are used to using and the suppliers they already work with. Abel said getting the negotiations for sustainable or recyclable fabrics can be challenging, especially for a small brand. 

“The thing that a small brand like us is still up against is that minimum fabric yardage for recycled materials. And some of the more innovative fabrics is a much greater [requirement],” she said. “So it’s a harder point of entry for smaller brands to be responsible.”

Still, there are innovative options to pull from. Companies can use natural fibers, like linen or organic cotton. For more technical apparel, the science is catching up to the times; Gore-Tex has made a PFAS-free material since 2021 to use as an alternative to other products. Aiko Bode, chief sustainability officer at Fjallraven, who helped oversee the company’s switch from PFAS around a decade ago, said there has been significant research and development in the space. He said the company is starting to work with Gore-Tex again because of its recent innovations.

“I think that’s remarkable. A big player like Gore-Tex changing their whole process — their whole application, their whole production, Bode said. “To make the step becoming more sustainable and more environmentally friendly… that’s a good step.”

One textile used at Wild Rye is the Seawastex Recycled Nylon that’s made from Oyster rope and fishing nets in South Taiwan, where the fabric is produced. The material is used on the outer layer of its Butterfield pants and jacket. Abel said her company is sometimes able to access higher-end sustainable materials by tacking its order onto an existing production run.

“We’ve certainly had to search really high and low for the right materials or build really great supplier relationships,” Abel said. “Having strong relationships with your suppliers, I think, is everything in this day and age for a smaller brand trying to do the right thing.”

Compliance and communication

Emily Mikhaiel, co-founder of the regenerative Egyptian cotton clothing brand Nazeerah, got into the fashion world after working in environmental law. She said it can be challenging for brands to get rid of PFAS because of complex global supply chains.

“You could be working with a textile producer, but they source their thread from somewhere else, and you ask them, ‘Where do you get your thread from? What’s in that?’’ she said. “It’s very, very challenging, and it’s not always the brand’s fault. Even if they’re doing their due diligence and doing everything they possibly can, the factory may not know what’s being asked of them or have the answer.”

In response, some manufacturers may not have the resources to upgrade their machinery or operations to change what they’re producing. Yet, she sees the potential for change as the buyers’ dollar demands it. “A regulation in California can change the whole industry in the U.S. and, therefore, changes the manufacturing internationally,” she said. “But without that demand, the factory isn’t necessarily going to make that change.”

The new PFAS bans may also require some additional administrative work. Joo Cha Webb, a partner at Venable who specializes in representing companies in environmental claims, told Modern Retail that companies should obtain Certificates of Compliance or other written information from their manufacturers and suppliers stating that their products do not contain intentionally added PFAS.

Brands may also want to consult with lawyers to confirm what their compliance obligations are, as the certificates of compliance may not insulate them from litigation. And there could be more laws that change in the future to be apprised of. 

“With each new ban, manufacturers, sellers and retailers may struggle to reconcile their various — and potentially disparate — obligations under each state’s own regulation,” Webb said.

However, as more PFAS-free clothing hits the market, it’s unclear whether this will affect consumers’ expectations or desires for clothing. Some companies, like Arc’teryx, have seen sales of certain items grow after switching to PFAS-free fabric.

Bode of Fjallraven said consumers are increasingly aware of “forever chemicals.” Every so often, there are news stories about plastic’s prevalence — like traces of PFAS in breast milk- — and that leads to more pointed questions and research about materials. At Fjallraven, Bode said, the company’s shoppers have high expectations for the brand to be eco-friendly.

“The outdoor industry is, in a way, blessed but also cursed by the fact that we have nature lovers — and they are asking very, very critical questions,” he said. “They ask, ‘Are you PFAS-free?’ And we can say yes with some confidence. Since 2015, we have been able to phase out PFAS wherever we were able to get rid of it.”

Bode said that it’s likely other states and countries will keep banning PFAS in apparel. “If you’re not adjusting, you can forget it,” Bode said. Eventually, Bode believes “the new default with be PFAS-free.”