The group of chemicals known as PFAS were developed as coatings to protect consumer goods from water, stains, and corrosion, and in the outdoor industry they’re mostly used to repel water and oil.
“We have used them as an industry and as a society because they’re readily available, they work really well, and they’re good at what they do,” said Theresa McKenney, director of sustainability and government affairs at outdoor brand Nemo Equipment.
But the reason so-called forever chemicals work so well is also the cause of the problem.
PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, persist in the environment and in our bodies, and they can travel, including via water and air.
And while human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of PFAS are uncertain, the outdoor industry is facing stricter regulations designed to phase them out from some state governments as well as certain big retailers.
Several statewide deadlines are looming in 2025, and other countries across the globe are also working to limit or eliminate PFAS use.
Searching for Alternatives
According to McKenney, Nemo has been working on alternative, PFAS-free durable water repellent coatings for several years.
For example, when developing its OSMO fabric, Nemo was striving for advancements in performance and sustainability, and one objective was to eliminate PFAS.
OSMO is a poly-nylon composite tent fabric. It’s 100% recycled and PFAS-free.
Through the process to develop OSMO, Nemo expanded its efforts to phase out PFAS throughout its product line. All Nemo products will be free of PFAS with the launch of its Spring 2025 line.
“We work very closely with our supply chain,” McKenney said. “The challenge for all of us in the industry is trying to root out where else these chemicals are being used in our supply chains, outside of durable water repellency treatments.”
Another solution is for brands to pursue Bluesign-approved materials for their products, according to McKenney. If a component meets Bluesign criteria, that means the product has been manufactured to meet strict safety and environmental requirements.
“If we know a material is Bluesign certified, that greatly decreases the risk for us,” she said.
Aftercare to Factory Solution
Outdoor brand Nikwax has offered a PFAS-free aftercare waterproofing and cleaning solution for the outdoor industry for more than four decades.
“We made the decision back then consciously to not use PFAS chemistry because we knew of its persistence in the environment, and its carcinogenic elements,” CEO Brian Davidson said. “It’s really what we’ve preached for a long time, but it’s obviously mainstream and in focus for the outdoor industry right now.”
Davidson said when state-by-state PFAS legislation started to take shape, the company began working on an industry-applied fabric DWR treatment that brands can use to make waterproof garments, tents, and sleeping bags, among other products.
For Fall 2024, Nikwax is partnering with Outdoor Research to add a factory-applied DWR treatment to Outdoor Research’s Foray and Aspire waterproof shells. Nikwax calls the product Direct Dry. Outdoor Research was the first brand to use it.
Nikwax CEO Brian Davidson at Outdoor Retailer this month with the Outdoor Research waterproof shell that uses Nikwax’s Direct Dry treatment. Photo by The Daily.
To clarify, Nikwax’s products are intended as a waterproofing alternative to PFAS, not as an oil-repellent alternative.
The increase in demand for the company’s DWR solution hasn’t put a lot of stress on the company, according to Davidson. “We’re well within our means to provide tens of thousands of liters of product to be able to ship to a facility around the world,” he said.
An increasing number of retailers have been carrying Nikwax as an aftercare solution since before the pandemic, according to Davidson, and even more are adding the products in the wake of the PFAS changes.
“Retailers are recognizing and hearing more about aftercare, that it’s going to be part of the solution to the PFAS transition,” he said. “It’s going to continue to empower consumers to maintain jackets in an environmentally safe, sustainable way.”
OIA Works Through Issue
At the Outdoor Industry Association, members are committed to the responsible phase out of PFAS from their supply chains and products, according to Julie Brown, director of sustainable business innovation for OIA.
“Without adequate transition periods, the logistical challenges presented by phaseout become particularly challenging,” Brown said. “Product development cycles can take 18-24 months of lead time, and once those products hit shelves, they may remain on the shelf for months at a time.”
Products at the point of sale may have been developed years ago, Brown pointed out, and brands and retailers are trying to avoid incinerating products or filling landfills in places where new restrictions have been introduced.
“Brands are working hard to make sure products will be sold only in places they are allowed,” she said.
To help work through the issue, an effective strategy for brands is to engage with your supply chain early and often, according to Brown.
“Start by communicating to your suppliers your intention to transition to PFAS-free alternatives by a specific date,” she said. “Ask your suppliers what experience they might have with PFAS-free alternatives in the form of materials, functional attributes, certifications, and testing. You may be able to leverage their previous experience to expedite your PFAS phase-out transition.”
It is also good practice for brands to consult a lawyer to ensure that they are interpreting each law correctly and that their solutions will be compliant, Brown added.
PFAS Podcast Takeaways
Meg Carney, a podcast producer who released a 10-part series investigating PFAS earlier this year called “Forever Chemicals,” said one of the key takeaways from her reporting and conversations is that the businesses in the outdoor industry, especially in the U.S., were late to take action.
“It feels very reactionary,” Carney said. “They’re just reacting to the California regulations because they have to, instead of taking accountability early on.”
Even some of the major brands and retailers that are leaders in sustainability in the industry were “laggards” regarding PFAS specifically, according to Carney. She called out Patagonia and REI as examples of this.
“It took a lot of advocacy to get them to recognize the changes that needed to be done,” Carney said. “My question as a consumer is, ‘What took so long?’”
Another takeaway Carney highlighted was that brands leading in moving away from PFAS, including Keen, Fjällräven, Jack Wolfskin, and Houdini Sportswear, have women in leadership positions.
Some of the brands that have been leaders in not using PFAS have been honest and transparent in communicating to customers that while these new chemistries might be just as good at waterproofing, the products probably won’t repel oil as well.
“That’s something a lot of consumers are going to learn as they start to use the new products,” Carney said. “Their sunscreen and other oil-based substances might infiltrate these fabrics when they wouldn’t have before.”
Other consumers might notice these waterproof, PFAS-free products are not quite as breathable, she added.
Carney also suggested brands look for proven solutions that already exist rather than try to formulate their own waterproofing chemistry in-house.
“I get that you want to have in-house research, but when there’s proven, cleaner chemistry it seems like collaboration would be an easier route,” she said.
Regulations Breakdown
In the United States to date, 34 states have introduced 270 policies to protect people from toxic chemicals.
Maine, Minnesota, and Washington state have given state agencies the authority to ban PFAS in a wide range of products.
Twelve states have enacted phase-outs of PFAS in food packaging: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Eight states – California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington – have adopted restrictions on PFAS in carpets, rugs, and/or aftermarket treatments.
California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington are taking action to eliminate PFAS in cosmetics.
Twelve states – California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington – have banned the sale of firefighting foam containing PFAS.
Thirty-two retail chains have committed to eliminating or reducing PFAS in food packaging, textiles and/or other products. The Food and Drug Administration is banning six types of PFAS in food packaging nationwide.
Twenty-nine U.S. state attorneys general are pursuing litigation against the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals for contaminating water supplies and other natural resources.
Ten states – Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin – have enforceable drinking water standards for some PFAS chemicals (Delaware and Virginia are developing standards).
Twelve additional states – Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington – have adopted guidance levels, notification levels, and/or health advisories for PFAS in drinking water.
Canada, Australia, and the EU each have different regulations, but some are standardized by the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions.
Australia regulates the manufacture and importation of PFAS (including those that may break down to form perfluorinated substances such as PFOS and PFOA). Importers and manufacturers (introducers) of these chemicals must comply with legal obligations under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019.
In Canada, the federal government announced its intention to designate PFAS as a class of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), opening the door to further regulatory restrictions (and potential prohibitions) on the manufacture, use, sale, and import of products containing PFAS.
