The government should urgently restrict non-essential uses of ‘forever chemicals’ in products like frying pans and school uniforms, MPs have urged.
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’, are part of a group of more than 10,000 man-made substances.
Due to their highly resistant qualities, they are often used by the military and emergency services, as well as in household products, such as cosmetics and frying pans.
However, those same qualities mean PFAS can accumulate in the environment and in people’s bodies for decades, with some research suggesting they could be linked to health issues.
MPs are now calling for the government to ban the use of PFAS in items like kitchen equipment and school uniforms.
The warning comes in a new report by the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee, ‘Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)’.
The report says the government should take a ‘precautionary approach’ to approving new PFAS and require companies to gain government approval before introducing a new PFAS substance.
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Toby Perkins MP was critical of the government’s new PFAS Action Plan, saying it does not go far enough.
“It appears to be a plan to eventually have a plan, rather than a concrete set of commitments to reduce and remediate PFAS,” Perkins said.
“The government must also ensure that those who pollute with PFAS pay for the damage they cause. It must consult on establishing a national PFAS Remediation Fund and explore options to truly hold polluters to account. Where no one can be held accountable, local authorities must be given the funds they need to clean up.”
The Committee has warned that regulators could struggle to keep pace with industry if new PFAS substances emerge faster than they can be assessed.
As a solution, MPs say the government should adopt an ‘essential-use’ approach to regulating PFAS and prioritise rapidly restricting the use of PFAS in non-essential applications.
This includes bans on PFAS in non-essential consumer products, such as food packaging, cookware and school uniforms, with a phased restriction from 2027.
MPs also warn that voluntary action on PFAS or self-regulation by industry are not sufficient to reduce PFAS emissions.
The Committee also recommends that the government applies the ‘polluter pays principle’, to PFAS contamination and consult on establishing a national PFAS Remediation Fund.
As part of this Fund, it recommends that the government explore the implications of an emissions levy for PFAS.
