When Patagonia redesigned its Torrentshell rain jacket to get rid of PFAS or “forever chemicals,” the process took five years. It was one of the company’s final steps before reaching its ultimate goal: phasing out PFAS in all of its products, including fabrics, zippers, and thread, before 2025.
PFAS, a group of thousands of different chemicals, have been ubiquitous for decades because they’re good at making surfaces slippery, stain-resistant, or waterproof. They’re found in everything from dental floss and waterproof mascara to food packaging and your iPhone touch screen. They’re also an environmental disaster. Forever chemicals, as their nickname suggests, can take centuries to break down in nature. One report estimates that 45% of drinking water in the U.S. now contains PFAS. Studies have linked the chemicals to multiple diseases, from kidney cancer to thyroid disease.
3M, one of the largest manufacturers of PFAS, plans to stop making the chemicals by the end of next year, after settling a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit to clean up contaminated water. New regulations are also forcing brands to find alternatives to PFAS in consumer products.
California, for example, has banned PFAS in food packaging, children’s cribs, and cosmetics, among other products. A regulation banning PFAS above a certain threshold in textiles—from clothing and shoes to backpacks and shower curtains—will take effect in the state next year. (Outdoor apparel for “severe wet conditions” has a little longer to switch, with a 2028 deadline.) In New York and Washington State, PFAS in clothing will also be banned beginning in 2025. Vermont and Rhode Island are considering similar bans. Maine and Minnesota both have bans on PFAS in all products that will take effect in 2030 and 2032; multiple other states are also considering broad bans, according to Safer States, an organization that tracks related legislation.
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