Green Seal, an industry-leading environmental standard development and certification organization, now prohibits all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in certified cleaning and personal care products.
PFAS are a large group of synthetically produced chemicals that have a history of use dating back to the 1940s. The category includes over 12,000 chemicals that are often found in food packaging, coatings, personal care and cosmetics, paints, textiles, cookware, and even some cleaning products.
PFAS have carbon-fluorine bonds that make them very stable and effective at repelling oil, water, and heat, but this unique chemical structure also makes them persistent in the environment. There is evidence that some chemicals are so resistant to degradation that they could persist for hundreds of years; hence their nickname of “forever chemicals”.
They are now found in drinking water and bioaccumulate in both soil and humans, with some chemicals taking more than eight years to reach their half-life — or reduce their concentration by 50 per cent in the human body.
PFAS are associated with numerous adverse health effects, including impacts on the endocrine and reproductive systems; increased risks of prostate, testicular, and kidney cancer; and decreased immune responses — including the body’s ability to develop beneficial antibodies in response to vaccines.
“Eliminating all PFAS from the supply chain for consumer and professional care products is a critical step in protecting human health and ending the environmental contamination caused by releases of these chemicals,” says Green Seal.
Green Seal’s standards have long prohibited long-chain PFAS formally classified as hazardous. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that short-chain PFAS known as “safer substitutes” actually have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing. Green Seal’s newly expanded prohibition on all PFAS in certified cleaning and personal care products promotes safer options for consumers and recognizes industry leaders who are taking important steps to protect human health and reduce environmental pollution.
Green Seal says it is taking a product-category approach to developing PFAS restrictions as part of a multi-year phased initiative to ensure that certified products in all categories have leadership restrictions on PFAS. A product-category approach is critical to ensure our policy effectively addresses manufacturing and use considerations that vary by product category, including exposure pathways, functional performance, and regrettable substitutes.
Providing transparency
It can be challenging for consumers and even manufacturers to be sure that products do not use PFAS. For example, the chemicals are often used in raw materials, the formulas for which are often not fully disclosed to the final manufacturer.
To increase supply chain transparency and encourage the use of safer alternatives, Green Seal added criteria to prohibit PFAS in standards for the following product categories:
- General Purpose Cleaners
- Laundry Care Products
- Specialty Cleaners
- Personal and Hand Care Products
Green Seal focused first on eliminating PFAS in formulas for certified cleaning and personal care products because the chemicals are non-essential for the performance of these types of products. Manufacturers are now given one year to document that their certified products comply with the updated criteria.
Green Seal is now turning its attention to establishing requirements for other product category standards.
“Purchasers and manufacturers know the hazards of this class of toxic chemicals but lack reliable ways to ensure products are PFAS-free,” says Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “Green Seal’s standard criteria now eliminate PFAS throughout the product formula supply chain for certified cleaning and personal care products while maintaining performance requirements, so buyers can choose safer, healthier, and effective products with confidence.”
