BMS® SoftLan® and SoftSkin® articles are PFC-free PFC
PFC - What is it?
Per- and polyfluorinated chemicals - toxic all-rounders. PFC stands for per- and polyfluorinated chemicals and summarises over 8,000 known substances. Describing them all in detail would go beyond the scope of this article. That is why we are focussing here on the substances that are of interest to the outdoor industry: Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). What all PFCs have in common is that they consist of carbon chains of different lengths in which hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine. These substances do not occur in nature. However, they can now be detected even in the most remote areas of the earth, for example in the Arctic. Many PFCs are persistent, i.e. they do not degrade on their own but have to be incinerated at extremely high temperatures, for example. The traces are thus spread throughout the world via waterways, air and food.
What makes PFCs dangerous?
Harmful PFCs such as PFOS and PFOA can accumulate in the environment and organisms. In many living organisms, they affect the hormone system and reproduction, and some substances are even considered carcinogenic. Once released, these persistent compounds are practically non-degradable and can hardly be removed from the environment. Due to their persistence, it is almost impossible to successfully remove existing accumulations. Important: Persistence and accumulation are two different aspects. A persistent chemical does not have to accumulate. If it remains sufficiently mobile (e.g. low biological half-life), it is quickly excreted, but can also spread widely. What are PFCs used for? Long-chain PFCs are found, for example, in extinguishing agents, are used in metal processing such as chrome plating, and the automotive industry uses PFC-containing substances to protect its paintwork and upholstery. In upholstered furniture and especially in carpets, they are found in the form of impregnations to keep out moisture and dirt. Coatings in pizza boxes ensure that the cardboard does not soak through immediately when it comes into contact with grease. The water, oil and dirt-repellent properties combined with the mass availability of the substances have ensured that many everyday products have contained perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals in recent decades.
Where are PFCs found in outdoor clothing and why?
PFCs are mainly used in outdoor clothing when a water-repellent effect is required.
- Unfortunately, PFCs are still present in outdoor products: on the one hand, substances such as the above-mentioned PFOA are used as emulsifiers in the manufacture of microporous membranes. But many manufacturers' own membranes are also based on the same manufacturing principle. Traces of the PFOA used can be detected within the membrane even after the jacket has been completely finished. However, PFOA is not volatile, so it cannot evaporate and poses no immediate health risk to the wearer of the product. The problem lies in the production plants, which do not have adequate environmental protection measures in place.
- Impregnation: However, outdoor enthusiasts come into contact with PFCs much more frequently through the impregnation of an item of clothing or piece of equipment. Tents, rucksacks and, above all, outdoor clothing (rain jackets, softshell material, etc.) are very often supplied impregnated in order to achieve water-repellent properties. Waterproofing is essential for waterproof clothing in particular: it is the only way to make it breathable. Not all impregnating agents contain PFCs. But because of their particularly good results, the products that do contain them are often used. BMS has specialised in the production of PFC-free outdoor clothing.
PFC-free alternatives in production
As Greenpeace has shown in large-scale studies, there is a need for action and catching up in the outdoor industry. An industry that develops its business model based on its consumers' love of nature should be particularly mindful of health and nature conservation issues. Even if the outdoor industry only accounts for a very small proportion of the total mass of many different PFCs, the role model function is particularly important in this case. PFC-free alternatives for equipment and waterproofing agents Waterproofing is the bigger issue, as it is found on the surface of many more products. Fortunately, a lot has happened in this area in the recent past. Silicones or polymers are often used as substitutes for breathable jackets or other outdoor textiles, which are significantly more environmentally friendly both in terms of production and disposal.
PFC-free impregnations are now available.
These impregnations are increasingly being used in production, but can also be purchased separately to freshen them up. Nikwax is an outstanding example of this, as it is very durable, has very good beading effects and is one of the most environmentally friendly products currently available. Other manufacturers are focussing on replacing the existing PFCs with those that are less persistent and therefore much easier to break down. These substances are mainly found in particularly technical materials where function must be uncompromisingly paramount.
What else can I buy?
BMS® SoftLan® and SoftSkin® products are absolutely PFC-free. The list of products with PFC-free impregnations (BIONIC finish ECO) is also getting longer and longer. In general, consumers would do well to first find out what type of clothing or equipment they actually need. For example, if you are only looking for an emergency jacket for the city and the local mountain, you don't need the expedition-ready top model with uncompromising features. BMS, for example, offers a very wide range of PFC-free leisure jackets.
What does the future hold?
Even before Greenpeace's extensive research, many manufacturers had recognised the need for action and were in the process of switching to PFC-free production. What sounds simple is extremely difficult in practice: there are actually no outdoor manufacturers who can produce their entire product range, from fabric to end product, in their own factory. As a rule, finished fabrics are purchased and processed in partner companies. This creates hurdles in terms of availability and production capacity alone, which are often beyond the control of the manufacturer. In addition, large fabric manufacturers process both PFC-containing and PFC-free products in their factories, which can lead to contamination. Gore-Tex will not be PFC-free until 2020 or 2023 In this context, the rethink at textile supplier W. L. Gore seems all the more significant: at Ispo 2017, the market and technology leader in weather protection textiles announced that it would no longer be using PFCs in its membranes and coatings in future. However, the new, environmentally friendly processes for Gore-Tex products still need to be developed, which means that the production of general weatherproof laminates will not actually be able to do without PFCs until the end of 2020 and speciality laminates until the end of 2023. Nevertheless, Greenpeace is celebrating the commitment as a ‘turning point in the production of outdoor clothing’. After all, Gore-Tex products are strongly represented in the collections of almost all major outdoor brands.
PFC-free niche
Brands such as BMS®, Picture or Pyua are very small and certainly cannot afford their own production facilities. However, they have discovered a niche for themselves and only buy fabrics that have been produced PFC-free. Together with their Norwegian colleagues, the German Environment Agency has issued a recommendation for action that should enable the respective government to gradually phase out particularly hazardous PFCs. It is therefore foreseeable that all manufacturers who have so far given little thought will also be obliged by law to phase out PFCs in the near future.