FOREVER CHEMICALS: European Companies Are Far Ahead

The goal of this series is to provide useful information for consumers regarding PFAS, specifically within the outdoor industry, but also for those of us working in the industry. I learned from every single person that I interviewed and talked to about the topic of PFAS, and one of the patterns I noticed during production was that most of the European brands like Jack Wolfskin, Fjallraven, and Houdini Sportswear were early adopters of phasing PFAS out of their products.

As early as 2009, some of these brands had already begun or, at the very least, made the decision to remove harmful chemicals from their product line.

This begs the question, what took the rest of the industry so long to catch up when there were several examples of success just across the ocean?

Guests featured in this episode:

- Eva Karlsson, ⁠Houdini Sportswear⁠

- Kevin Myette, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesign⁠⁠⁠

- Regina Goller, ⁠Jack Wolfskin⁠

- Donna Bruns, ⁠Fjallraven⁠

- Martin Axelhed, ⁠Fjallraven⁠

- Arlene Blum, ⁠Green Science Policy Institute⁠

- Kirsten Blackburn, ⁠Keen Footwear⁠

If you want to learn more about what PFAS are, where they are found, the proven health effects, how you can limit your exposure, up to date news on PFAS, and how to get involved in PFAS regulatory efforts visit

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toxicfreefuture.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Foodandwaterwatch.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pfascentral.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

INSTAGRAM:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Fund the Forever Chemicals 10-Part Podcast⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/77aac225⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Snaplinc Consulting provided expert fact checking and guidance for the creation of this podcast.

Snaplinc Consulting provides corporate sustainability strategies and ESG support across a broad range of industries including apparel, footwear, home furnishings, software, cosmetics, professional services and more.

Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠snaplincconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more and contact the experts to guide you through complex topics like CSRD, PFAS, greenhouse gas assessments, SBTi, CDP, EcoVadis, B Corp and many more compliance and certification frameworks.

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Sources

Greenpeace Romania. (n.d.). Chemistry for any weather (Wayback Machine Archive No. 9650). Retrieved from ⁠https://wayback.archive-it.org/9650/20200429191052/http://p3-raw.greenpeace.org/romania/Global/romania/detox/Chemistry%20for%20any%20weather.pdf⁠

Stockholm Resilience Centre. (n.d.). Planetary boundaries. Retrieved from ⁠https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html