PFAS in clothes: these are the most famous brands of glare that have chosen to eliminate them

PFAS in clothes: these are the most famous brands of glare that have chosen to eliminate them

The North Face, Vans, Supreme and Timberland have announced that they will phase out the well-known PFAS from their products by 2025. 

Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous

The North Face, Vans, Supreme and Timberland have just announced to phase out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the much better known PFAS or “chemicals forever”, from their products by 2025. 





This was communicated by VF Corporation, which owns the main fashion and outdoor clothing brands.

PFAS are a group of over 9 chemicals that last a long time and degrade very slowly over time.

Read also: Lead, pfas and phthalates in low cost fashion by Shein, AliExpress and Zaful. The investigation that comes from Canada but concerns all of us

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What are PFAS

We talked a lot about it, especially in relation to the pollution of the aquifers in Veneto.

Read also: PFAS in food in Veneto: all pollution maps and tables have been published

The acronym stands for Perfluoroalkyl substances, ie perfluoroalkyl substances: these are organic molecules characterized by having most of the hydrogen atoms replaced by fluorine atoms. The presence of numerous carbon-fluorine bonds in these substances gives them particular physicochemical characteristics such as water and fat repellency, thermal stability and surfactivity that make them very useful in a wide range of industrial applications, as well as in many products. for everyday use, just like waterproof fabrics.

Unfortunately, however, their environmental impact is far from negligible: thanks to their thermal and chemical stability, PFOA and PFOS are chemically stable in the environment and resistant to the typical degradation processes, managing to persist in the soil, in the air. and in the water even for years.

Many studies have attested the danger of PFAS for human health. We know that they are endocrine disruptors, that is, they alter hormonal processes within the organism, with heavy consequences on development, behavior and fertility; they also favor the onset of thyroid and metabolic diseases (such as obesity and type 2 diabetes). In addition to this, they are considered carcinogenic substances, with an influence on the onset of diseases such as kidney or testicular cancer. Finally, among the consequences related to exposure to PFAS, there are also hypertension, ulcerative colitis, cholesterol. In all these cases, it is not a question of immediate effects: very often the diseases manifest themselves even after years of exposure to these harmful substances. 



The announcement of VF Corporation

Now, in its announcement, VF Corporation has emphasized that it aims to remove PFAS, formaldehyde, flame retardants, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and limited phthalates, among other chemicals, from products by 2025.

This past year, @Timberland, @thenorthface, and @VANS_66 all stepped up, and committed to change the future for the better.#MadeForChange pic.twitter.com/4y0HuadDW5

— VF Corporation (@VFCorp) October 27, 2021

The elimination of most PFAS in its products is part of several new sustainability goals for VF Corporation. In a Made for Change report, the company shares 12 sustainability goals that affect people, the planet and the product. Goals include worker well-being, community impact, waste reduction, emissions reduction (in part by using more renewable energy) and more sustainable product materials and packaging.

In the meantime, how can we defend ourselves?

According to experts, it is necessary for us consumers to look for brands that complement product safety compliance with the help of organizations such as Oeko-Tex or Bluesign. These set substance limits in each piece of clothing based on progressive international regulations, such as EU REACH, which defines safe levels of certain chemicals in clothing.


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Source: VF Corporation

Read also:

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  • Exposure to Pfas can weaken the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine. I study
  • Pfas, researchers have found them in unsuspecting products you use every day
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