John Twitchen FCIWM, Founder of Stuff4Life, analyses the UK Environmental Audit Committee’s warning on ‘forever chemicals’ as pressure mounts on the clothing sector.
The Environmental Audit Committee has issued a stark warning about the growing risks posed by PFAS, concluding that the UK is falling behind international efforts to control the so-called ‘forever chemicals’.
In its latest report, published on 23 April, MPs describe PFAS as persistent, bioaccumulative pollutants now widely detected in water, soil and human populations, with potential links to cancer, immune disruption and fertility issues.
The Committee criticises the UK Government’s approach as too slow and overly reliant on gathering evidence rather than acting to prevent harm.
It calls for a decisive shift towards a precautionary model, including phasing out all non-essential uses of PFAS and regulating the chemicals as a single class rather than tackling them one by one.
Without such changes, MPs warn, contamination will continue to build and the cost of remediation will escalate.
A crucial question not answered by policy makers, regulators and commentators alike: who will pay for the impacts already embedded in everyday products?
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What are PFAS? PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals known as ‘forever chemicals’. They are highly persistent in the environment and human bodies because of strong carbon-fluorine bonds. |
Implications for textiles and clothing
The report has significant implications for the textiles and clothing sector, where PFAS are commonly used to provide water-, stain- and oil-repellent finishes.
Products, such as outdoor jackets, school uniforms and performance wear, are specifically highlighted as examples of ‘non-essential’ uses that could face restriction or phase-out under the Committee’s recommendations.
For brands and manufacturers, this signals an accelerating shift towards alternative chemistries and finishing technologies. While many major retailers have already begun transitioning away from long-chain PFAS, the report increases pressure to eliminate the entire class, including shorter-chain variants often used as substitutes.
Supply chains may face rising compliance costs, increased scrutiny and the need for greater transparency around chemical use.
There are also implications for durability and product performance. PFAS-based finishes have long been valued for their effectiveness and longevity; replacing them without compromising product quality remains a technical and commercial challenge.
However, the Committee’s stance suggests that continued reliance on these substances may soon carry regulatory and reputational risks that outweigh their functional benefits.
How the UK compares with Europe
The Committee makes clear that the UK is lagging behind the European Union, where regulators are moving to a broad, class-based restriction on PFAS under the REACH framework. Several EU member states are already backing proposals to ban most uses of PFAS except those deemed essential, applying a more precautionary principle than currently seen in UK policy.
By contrast, the UK’s post-Brexit chemicals regime has taken a slower, more incremental approach. The report urges closer alignment with European standards, warning that divergence risks turning the UK into a ‘dumping ground’ for products containing chemicals that are restricted elsewhere.
Who pays for the past?
On the question of legacy products, such as clothing already in circulation with PFAS coatings, the report is less prescriptive but still points towards a clear principle: polluters should bear the cost. The Committee endorses the ‘polluter pays’ approach, arguing that industry, rather than taxpayers, should fund monitoring, clean-up and remediation of contamination.
Neither the UK report nor current EU proposals offer detailed mechanisms for dealing with PFAS embedded in existing consumer goods. There is no immediate suggestion of recalls or disposal mandates for clothing already in use.
However, both frameworks imply that the long-term costs of managing environmental and health impacts, whether through waste systems, water treatment or soil remediation, should ultimately be recovered from those who produced and profited from the chemicals.
The need to identify and either quarantine items containing PFAS, or separate PFAS compounds in end of life processing and recycling will be key.
As regulation tightens, the unresolved issue of legacy PFAS raises difficult questions for brands, policymakers and consumers alike about responsibility, cost and the true lifecycle impact of ‘forever chemicals’.
If we fail to address that now, future generations will inherit both the contamination and the bill.
