PFAS: What you need to know
What is PFAS?
“Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals that resist grease, oil, water, and heat. They were first used in the 1940s and are now in hundreds of products including stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, and fire-fighting foams.
Certain PFAS are also authorised for limited use in cookware, food packaging, and food processing equipment.
Individual PFAS can be very different. However, all have a carbon-fluorine bond, which is very strong and therefore, they do not degrade easily.
Why is PFAS mentioned in the news?
Recently there has been a story in the media about PFAS being present in paper straws.
Due to this there has been growing attention to limit the use of PFAS.
Why we say ‘no added PFAS’
As we have already mentioned, PFAS has been used in so many items since the 1940s and is found at low levels in almost all places on Earth. To recognise this, compostability certifications allow a maximum of 100 parts per million. That’s why we say no PFAS added, not PFAS free.
We are working to be accurate in our communications to help educate our customers. We haven’t added any PFAS in the making of our products – but we can’t control the possible low levels of PFAS already in the environment. So, claims of being ‘PFAS free’ may sound good but are not always accurate.
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