Tag: pfas

Eliminating PFAS from the Supply Chain for Consumer Products

Posted on by Brittany Maule

At Green Seal, we are committed to eliminating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the supply chain for consumer products. In our latest action to prevent any more harm from these toxic “forever chemicals,” we are proposing to prohibit any PFAS in Green Seal-certified paints and coatings, floor care products, adhesives, and degreasers.

Green Seal is among the first eco-certifiers to enact an aggressive ingredient prohibition that addresses PFAS as an entire chemical class. We define PFAS as a chemical with one or more fully fluorinated carbon atoms – the most expansive definition, encompassing more than 14,000 chemicals and mirroring the definition used by regulatory bodies in the European Union and several U.S. states.

This means both manufacturers and consumers can be confident that Green Seal-certified products are formulated without any PFAS.

The update to our criteria for these product categories follows a similar update to our criteria for cleaning and personal care products, which we finalized in 2022.

Fewer than 1% of 14,000-plus PFAS have completed hazard assessments to date, meaning it could be years before these chemicals are properly evaluated for the risks they pose. However, a growing body of scientific evidence points to the need to treat PFAS as a single class because of the known hazards of the chemicals studied so far. We are tracking the emerging science and taking a leadership position on PFAS because of the extraordinary risk they pose to human health and the environment.

The hazards of PFAS 

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products since the 1950s. Manufacturers prize these chemicals because their carbon-fluorine bonds make them very stable and effective at repelling oil, water, and heat. However, this unique chemical structure also makes them resistant to degradation, meaning they persist in the environment as so-called “forever chemicals” and bioaccumulate in our bodies.

PFAS are now found in drinking water and in the blood of most people around the world. They are linked to numerous adverse health effects, including cancer, reproductive harm, and decreased immune response.

PFAS in building restoration products

PFAS frequently are used as functional ingredients in building restoration products.

A recent study found that half of tested paint products contain PFAS, which may be used for glossiness, to reduce peeling, or for stain resistance or water repellency.

Most acrylic and wax floor finishes on the market contain PFAS as leveling and wetting agents, and PFAS also are used to increase wettability in adhesives.

Several U.S. states have developed measures to restrict PFAS in consumer products. While many of these measures target PFAS in personal care products, Maine, Washington, and Oregon are scheduled to implement restrictions on PFAS in certain building restoration products in coming years.

Lend us your voice

We believe a collaborative approach leads to better outcomes for everyone. That’s why we follow an open and transparent process for developing our science-based criteria that includes seeking input from industry, health and environmental researchers and advocates, consumers, and the public.

We are accepting public comment through December 20, 2024, on our proposed criteria to prohibit PFAS in our standards for paints and coatings, adhesives, and degreasers.

Learn more and submit your comment here.

Federal Government Announces PFAS-Free Purchasing Requirement, Specifying Green Seal

Posted on by Taryn Tuss

The Biden-Harris Administration announced it is directing government contractors to buy only Green Seal- or Safer Choice-certified cleaning products and hand soaps for use in federal buildings to ensure products are free of toxic “forever chemicals.”

The directive is in line with President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which orders federal agencies to “prioritize the purchase of sustainable products and services including products without added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS),” according to the joint announcement by U.S. EPA and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

This new requirement protects custodial workers, federal employees, and building occupants in 300,000-plus federal buildings across the country, leveraging the $650 billion annual purchasing power of the federal government for goods and services. It also highlights Green Seal’s commitment to taking a leadership position on addressing PFAS, a toxic class of chemicals that persists in the environment for hundreds of years and causes serious health and developmental impacts.

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 have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing. Green Seal updated its standards for cleaning and personal care products in 2022 to prohibit all approximately 12,000 chemicals in this class.

Green Seal’s broad definition of PFAS also aligns with emerging state regulations on PFAS, including California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, helping brands stay ahead of the curve on ingredient bans.

“Everyone deserves protection from the harmful effects of forever chemicals, including the workers who use cleaning products, federal employees, and those who visit government buildings every day,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in an EPA press release. “EPA has well recognized and established tools to help our partners in the federal government identify cleaning products that use safer ingredients and do not contain intentionally added PFAS to keep people safe and healthy.”

“As the largest single buyer of goods and services in the world, the federal government can play a big role in helping reduce PFAS through its purchasing,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in the press release. “Changing the requirements in our contracts is a way to answer President Biden’s call for the federal government to lead by example in buying sustainable products and services.”

For detailed information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s federal purchasing update, visit https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-takes-action-cut-pfas-us-government-custodial-contracts.

Oregon Bans PFAS in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Posted on by Taryn Tuss

Oregon has joined a growing number of states to ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetics and personal care products. The “Toxic-Free Cosmetics” bill that passed the state legislature this week prohibits all PFAS and seven other chemicals from cosmetic and personal care products sold in the state beginning in 2027.

Vermont, California, Colorado, and Maryland have passed similar PFAS prohibitions, and Washington, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Georgia have floated bans as well.

Green Seal last year prohibited all approximately 12,000 PFAS in certified cleaning and personal care products to protect people and the planet from the toxic “forever chemicals,” which can persist for hundreds of years in the environment, bioaccumulate in soil and in humans, and are linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and decreased immune response. While Green Seal has long prohibited long-chain PFAS that are formally classified as hazardous, our newer prohibition also encompasses short-chain PFAS, which are sometimes presented as safer substitutes even though growing evidence indicates they can have the same harmful health and environmental effects as long-chain PFAS. 

It can be challenging for consumers and even manufacturers to be sure that products do not use PFAS. PFAS are often used in raw materials, and those proprietary formulas are often not fully disclosed to the final manufacturer. Eliminating PFAS from the supply chain is critical to keep these chemicals out of our products and drinking water and to prevent future harm.

It is encouraging to see more states addressing PFAS in consumer products. While state and federal regulations often lag behind the science, manufacturers and consumers can rely on Green Seal to stay abreast of emerging information and identify products that are safer and more sustainable.