Gore eliminates PFOA from raw material of fabrics
09/01/2014
This move affects all membranes and DWR (durable water repellency) treatments for fabrics used in mountaineering, running, cycling, fashion and lifestyle garments, footwear for outdoor sports and casual wear, and work wear for fire and police services.
PFOA has been detected in the raw materials in a range of industries including the carpet making, automotive, food packaging and outdoor sectors. PFOA has recently been added to the List of Substances of Very High Concern of the European Union REACH regulation. A set of directives is currently being worked on.
In 1992, Gore adopted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) strategy, which is a global standard used to assess the total environmental influences of a finished product, taking into consideration ecological factors including the potential impact on health and the ecosystem (“from cradle to grave”).
LCA results show that the most effective means of reducing the environmental impact of functional outerwear is to enhance its product lifetime. “The durability of our fabrics plays a key role in the lifetime of a finished product and therefore also to the efficient use of resources,” said Bernhard Kiehl, head of the Gore fabrics division sustainability team.
“For this reason it was of major importance to us that we were able to eliminate PFOA from our raw materials without compromising on the performance people have come to expect from our products.”
Gore Fabrics started to eliminate PFOA from its products 10 years ago. In 2011 it changed its durable water repellency (DWR) treatment for its consumer fabrics to more environmentally friendly alternatives.
The PFOA/PFC debate was brought to the fore by a 2012 Greenpeace report, which it recently updated.
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