As one of the UK’s leading technical workwear supplier, we have a
strong sense of duty and responsibility for our environment. We want to do the
right thing.
We invest a lot of time, money and resources into the latest
sustainable innovations to make our laundry services and garments as
eco-friendly as possible. We are proud to be industry leaders in environmental
commercial laundry and technical workwear services.
However, there is one problem that is simply not being taken
seriously enough in the textiles industry – PFAS chemicals, or ‘forever
chemicals’ as they are also known.
PFAS (Poly and perfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of over
4,700 man-made chemicals that cannot be broken down. Although they are used in
everything from frying pans to beauty products, the textile industry accounts
for up to half of the total use of PFAS due to their performance and
liquid-repellent and flame-retardant qualities on clothing.
PFAS chemicals accumulate in the environment and inside our bodies
and are known to cause damage to the planet and serious health problems,
including cancer, infertility, immune problems and high cholesterol.
Despite the known environmental and health concerns of PFAS
chemicals, the textile industry continues to use them in garment production
because of their low cost.
PFAS is often manufactured into the fabric of garments and added
to finished items as an impregnation, finish or membrane to repel stains, water
and even chemicals. PFAS re-treatment should be common practice in commercial
laundries which are washing technical workwear and PPE in order to ensure the
garment maintains its water and stain repellent properties.
phs Besafe has made the commitment to ban or restrict PFAS from its
services wherever alternatives are available.
“As one of the biggest contributors to the PFAS problem, it is
time that the textile industry stepped up and took action. We have a
responsibility to do the right thing.” said Rob Piazza, Sales Director at phs
Besafe.
“PFAS are everywhere. They are impacting every aspect of our
environment, including our food and water supplies, and they have made their
way into almost every human’s body. The impact is catastrophic, but the
government continue to lag behind the US and Europe with legislation restricting
or banning their use. The textile industry needs to do more to replace PFAS and
do the right thing.”
“It is alarming to see and more needs to be done in the textile industry
to fund the necessary research and development into more alternatives to PFAS,
or to use the alternatives that have already been developed.”
The team at phs Besafe has been working with Ecolab, a global sustainability leader that
offers environmental solutions to businesses, for the last six years to ensure phs
Besafe has PFAS-free laundry treatments for all the specialist workwear it
washes at its commercial laundries.
Ecolab has a
team of 1,200 scientists, engineers and technical specialists which work with
businesses around the world to develop innovative and sustainable commercial
solutions across a range of industries.
Besafe also has a long-term partnership with industry-leading
manufacturer Tranemo
Advanced Workwear to ensure it can supply customers with the highest quality,
PFAS-free workwear garments wherever a PFAS-free alternative is available.
“Unfortunately, the general focus in the UK is on manufacturing
and treating garments at the lowest possible cost. That usually means using
PFAS chemicals, which are cheap and easily available, despite the risk they
pose to our planet and the end user,” added Rob Piazza from phs Besafe.
“We don’t feel this is the way to do business and we choose to work with
partners that share our sustainable and innovative ethos, so we can start to
make improvements in the textile industry together. Someone must make some
noise about this.”
PFAS are not currently subject to many UK restrictions. Just two
of the 4,700 chemicals are regulated. The Health & Safety Executive
released a report in April 2023 following the most comprehensive British
analysis of PFAS chemicals. The report makes a number of recommendations
including limiting the use of PFAS-containing foams as well as the use of PFAS
in textiles, furniture and cleaning products.
It was published under UK REACH, which is a
regulation that applies to the majority of chemical substances that are
manufactured in or imported into Great Britain.
HSE, as the
Agency for UK REACH, will work with the Environment Agency and the appropriate
authorities to consider the recommendations, and how action on these
recommendations will be set out in the forthcoming UK REACH Work Programme for
2023-24.
The
regulation of PFAS chemicals varies globally. In the US, there are proposed
bans starting as early as 2030 and many states propose to severely limit or ban
PFAS altogether in advance of federal regulations. In the European Union, the
use of some PFAS has already been restricted or banned in its entirety. Denmark
in particular is making a strong stand against PFAS, already banning it in food
packaging.
“Sadly, we
are still waiting for the UK to have its ‘PFAS epiphany’”, said Danny Hemmings
from Tranemo Advanced Workwear, a textile manufacturer which supplies phs
Besafe, and has become a world-leader in PFAS alternatives in flame retardancy
and other PPE workwear.
“One of the
issues is the UK’s current attitude to textiles. They want them fast and cheap,
and quality and sustainability are further down the list. We need a culture
shift, where value is placed on doing the right thing and health, safety and
well-being are the drivers of the market.
“End users
must look at the whole supply chain and find out how garments are being made,
and then ask whether that kind of manufacturing is acceptable.
“People need
to ask questions about PFAS and put pressure on manufacturers to make changes
and do better.”
Tranemo UK,
a subsidiary with its headquarters in Sweden, launched the world’s first
alternative to PFAS in technical workwear two years ago, after five years of
research and development. Six of its ranges are already PFAS free and it aims
to be entirely PFAS free by 2025 as it continues to try and develop PFAS
alternatives for chemical splash workwear, which currently do not exist.
Textile Services Association CEO David
Stevens said: “The TSA and the industry are keen to support the move away from
the use of PFAS within textile manufacture and retreatments where alternative
products are available. We are mindful that PFAS currently does provide
essential PPE to many frontline workers and therefore understand that it is a
complex solution. We are actively encouraging and are aware that the supply
chain is working to find alternative products and we are keen to support this
process as well as promote this journey.”
Rob Piazza from phs Besafe added: “The industry and the
government need to take responsibility and direct innovation and funding
towards sustainable alternatives to help us to drive real change in this
industry and beyond.”