The circumstances are changing rapidly and significantly in the EU: The national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have submitted a proposal to ECHA to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under REACH, the European Union’s (EU) chemicals regulation. ECHA will publish the detailed proposal, one of the broadest in the EU’s history, on 7 February 2023. New York and California have now also implemented PFAS bans, in January Oeko-Tex announced a general ban on the use of PFAS for many of their standards. And bluesign have announced that from from July 2023 all PFAS based chemicals will be phased out from the bluesign® FINDER and as of July 2024 all bluesign® APPROVED fabrics that are treated with PFAS formulations will be removed from the bluesign® GUIDE.
So if it comes to the question "How in depth is the research of the jury going to be? How can we guarantee that the products are judged fairly and equally?“ To be honest - we can not guarantee. We neither have a lab at hand, nor the standards to test each and every product.
We do rely on trust and honesty from the brands submitting the products to provide a full, clear and accurate picture of the materials used.
We do believe, that we all share the same values and good intentions to preserve this planet as it is - or better - for the generations to come.
That means if you as a company can honestly say : "We did our very best to track, trace and eliminate ALL use of PFAS on our product. We are certain it is already able to stand up to the new standards and regulations that are obviously coming our way“, that is enough.
There is one exception though: We are aware that it has been incredibly hard to get your hands on the new materials and membranes. Especially given the supply chain issues at hand. If your sample does still contain materials that do not stand up to this criteria, but that very material will be replaced BEFORE the product enters retail stage, you are welcome to send it in. In the latter case please attach all informations about the current state and the changes that will be applied.
Here is the updated version of our jury statement:
There is currently a global movement restricting the use of PFAS, including the uses in textiles and apparel, both from a policy and legal perspective, but also within widely used and accepted industry standards, labels and certifications. The national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have already submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under REACH, the European Union’s (EU) chemicals regulation. ECHA will publish the detailed proposal, one of the broadest in the EU’s history, on 7 February 2023.
In the light of these developments, and the scientific consensus of the environmental and health risk associated with chemicals of the PFAS family, the WOMEN'S GEAR AWARD jury members have in depth discussed the role of PFAS in outdoor products. In unison, the jury has decided as follows:
Going forward, all products submitted to the WOMEN'S GEAR AWARD #she is outdoors, and destined for sales seasons of 2023 and beyond, must be PFAS free. This criterion also applies to laminated products (PTFE-free).