In this article, I’ll be going over what PFAS is and PFAS free fabric in the context of the Japanese textile industry.
What is PFAS?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used in a wide variety of products, including fabrics, due to their ability to repel water, oil, and stains.
Purpose
- PFAS are applied to textiles to provide properties like water resistance, stain resistance, and durability. You can find them in:
- Outdoor clothing (rain jackets, etc.)
- Carpets and upholstery
- Certain types of bedding
- And other textiles intended to repel liquids or stains.
Concerns
- PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment.
- They can accumulate in humans and animals, and some PFAS have been linked to health problems.
- When PFAS-treated fabrics are washed, the chemicals can be released into the water supply.
Alternatives and Regulations
- Due to the growing concerns about the health and environmental impacts of PFAS, there’s increasing pressure to regulate their use.
- Efforts are underway to find and use safer alternatives in textile manufacturing.
- State and federal regulations are becoming more common, to limit or eliminate the use of PFAS in textiles. California and New York have banned sale of fabrics with PFAS as of Jan. 2025.
In Japan, fabric manufacturers are aware of the growing international concerns and regulations and have been switching out to safer ones. They are still selling fabrics with PFAS if they in stock. They are sometimes indicated by “C6 water repellent”.
PFAS-Free Fabrics on ApparelX
At ApparelX, we have started to get inquiries about PFAS-free fabrics. To make browsing for PFAS-free fabrics easier, we have made a collection tag called “PFAS-FREE” where you will see a collection of PFAS-Free fabrics. We just started adding fabrics to it so check back periodically to see newly added fabrics. As manufacturers sell out the PFAS versions and fully switch to PFAS-free inventory, those existing fabrics will also be added to the collection.
There are currently some fabrics that are only partially PFAS free, in terms of stock, dependant on color and production batches. Those are not yet included in the PFAS-Free collection.
PFAS free fabrics are sometimes indicated by “C0” water repellency in the product name. If there are no indication of C6 or C0, please send us an inquiry through the contact form. We will be happy to check with the manufacturers for you. (You can easily inquire about a specific product through the link located under the “Add to Cart” button on each products page.)
While we will do our best to catch orders that include fabric with PFAS, particularly to the two states (CA and NY), please do your due diligence of researching the fabrics before purchase and knowing your own state’s laws and regulations. Check out this link for PFAS free fabric.
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If you are looking to bulk order, custom order, or have any other questions, contact us through our contact form and a member on the Global Strategy Team will get back to you within the next business day. (Please understand that we are based in Japan and our office hours are 9am-6pm so we are only able to answer during that time).