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Thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyls are referred as PFAS. Their dirt-, grease- and water-repellent non-stick properties are used in home, camping, outdoor and clothing textiles, kitchen applications, food packaging, sports and household items - and the list could go on and on.

Because they are not biodegradable, they are also known as “Forever Chemicals”. This means that they remain in the environment and accumulate in living organisms via food, drinking water and dust if they are not excreted immediately. 

PFAS are suspected of damaging the liver as well as the hormone and immune system and are disrupting the metabolism. Worse still, they are suspected of impairing fertility and causing cancer. It is not easy to see if products contain PFAS as there is (still) no mandatory labeling.

A prohibition of PFAS has been under discussion at EU level since 2023. As a pioneer, the French National Assembly in Paris passed a law on 4th of April 2024, which will restrict the production, import, export and sale of certain products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from 1st of January 2025. One year later, from 2026, the use of PFAS in cosmetics and most clothing will be forbidden. This ban is to be extended to the whole textile industry by 2030.

Outside the EU, the US outdoor outfitter REI Co-op has also announced that it will ban PFAS from its textile products from autumn this year. [Source: Kunststoff-Web of 18.04.2024] 

Why does this also affect fluoropolymers and what does this mean for plastics processing industry?

The production of PTFE can also generate PFAS. This is why the regulation of fluorinated plastic polymers is being in discussion despite resistance from concerned industry, as they can cause significant environmental pollution over their entire life cycle from production to disposal. Bans or legal restrictions on PFAS would accelerate research into more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Big companies such as 3M have announced that they will stop the production and use of fluoropolymers, fluorinated fluids and all PFAS-based additives by the end of 2025 to avoid possible lawsuits. [Source: Kunststoff-Web of 21.03.2024]

Substitution of fluoropolymers - Are there existing substitutes?

Fluoropolymers can be replaced in their application by a selection of suitable alternative plastics and with the help of additives if, for example, the exact place of use, the required chemical resistance, the temperature stability and the physical properties are known.

We will be pleased to help you to substitute your fluoroplastics with alternative polymers and appropriate additives, so that the application purpose and function are largely unaffected.

Of course, such solutions do not lend themselves to all businesses. In general, however, it helps to deal consistently and with foresight with the changing effects of the crisis. According to the experience of many companies, it is worthwhile to have the following points in mind at an early stage:

Permanently review your business model, your strategy, your product range and your customer and supplier structure. New business ideas, the further development of your products, a mix of existing and new customers and the term of your supply contracts are relevant here.

Protect yourself against supply bottlenecks or payment defaults. Regularly check the creditworthiness of your contractual partners along your value chain. Ask your Chamber of Industry and Commerce for lists of debtors in which companies in default or threatened with insolvency are listed ex officio.

Implement an early warning system for your own company. Ensure a clear division of responsibilities in your company: Who is responsible for what, who reports to whom and how often? To always know the state of affairs, you need regular updates on business developments.

Watch out for warning signs: Is a previously reliable customer paying his bills at the last minute? Caution is particularly important in the event of sudden changes in payment behavior.

You should also keep an eye out for anything unusual with your suppliers: Does your supplier change his payment terms without notice, does he deliver late or only in inferior quality? Start looking for alternative suppliers in an early time.

(text source: DIHK 04/2021)

In the view of the VDI, recycling must be considered from the outset in the design of plastic products - in the sense of circular value creation. The International Plastics Trade Fair K 2019 in Düsseldorf, which starts today, is also characterised by the circular economy, in which the topic of recycling is embedded. 

According to the VDI, the most important thing in the development of new plastic products is recycling-friendly design. As early as the design stage of products containing plastics, developers and manufacturers must take into account the fact, that they can be dismantled as purely as possible after use in order to recycle them efficiently. 

Thinking about recycling starts with the design.

According to the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act, products must be suitable for proper, harmless and high-quality recycling as well as for environmentally friendly disposal. To achieve this, the following questions should be clarified early in the design process:

- Can a recyclable thermoplastic be used?

- Can plastics be used for the planned product in a single type?  Can plastics

   used for the planned product be sorted by type?

Optimal recycling because of sorted plastics.

If plastic products are made from sorted plastics, they can be recycled better and more efficiently at the end of the product life cycle. Contaminated polymers, on the other hand, cannot be recycled economically in this form. The alternative for them is chemical recycling, means returning them to their original monomers.

In the opinion of the VDI, the costs of a product's life cycle must also become a decisive purchasing criterion for consumers in the private sector in the future. Only in this way can an economical use of resources be achieved.

(text source: VDI 16.10.2019)