POPFREE
We are excited to be participating in POPFREE, an international, multi-stakeholder research project with the goal to find alternatives to PFAS chemistry in many different consumer products.
The 3-year project began in December 2017 and is organised by a Swedish research consortium, with participants from across Scandinavia, Europe and the world.
The aim of the project is to link up retailer and industry knowledge with state of the art research labs, analysing PFAS-free alternatives by looking at specific requirements of different products. For example, what characteristics are we looking for in stain-resistant school uniforms, compared to stain-resistance in ambulance jackets? As well as looking at textile coatings, the project will examine fire-fighting foams, paper coatings, ski waxes and other consumer products. The project will include careful analysis of any PFAS-free alternatives, to assess environmental impact and ensure PFAS coatings are replaced with safe alternatives.
Our role in the project will be to provide links between POPFREE and UK retailers, carry out consumer surveys and help to share results with industry and the public.
