Forever chemicals: What's the big deal?

So-called Forever chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS for short) have been in the headlines a lot recently (like this feature in The Guardian) Many retailers sell products containing these chemicals, because of their water-repellent/non-stick products. 

However, they're known as “forever chemicals” for a reason - which is that they do not break down in the environment, and are believed to have health implications. Consequently, there are moves around the world to ban PFAS for anything other than 'essential uses', which might include things like electronics and medical devices.

To get ahead of any potential bans, many retailers are looking into PFAS alternatives, and some have completely removed PFAS from their products.  They are also considering whether or not to support a move to ban PFAS, although according to a BRC survey in 2022, 72% of retailers needed more information on the health/environmental risks of PFAS before taking a position on this. However, the general consensus is that alternatives don't perform as well as PFAS, so as ever there are trade-offs to be made.

Want to know more? We are hosting a free PFAS training session for BRC members and invited guests on 2nd March at 10:00. See here for more details.