PFC is an abbreviartion for fluorinated chemicals that are used in the production of Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finishes and waterproof membranes in outdoor apparel. Some substances used have been named by a recent report by Greenpeace, highlighting a high concentration of hazardous compounds in a large number of outdoor jacket and shoe samples.
There are potential health and safety concerns with both PFOS and PFOA substances that comes from fluorinated solutions. The European Union has banned PFOS and is considering similar action with PFOA.Most water repellents on the market today are PFOS-free. Long chain solutions (C8) are still the most performant durable water repellent on the market, especially for oil and grease, but are at risk for their PFOA content. To reduce the risk of finding PFOA in these treatments, Salomon chose in 2017 to move from a long chain solution (C8) to a short chain solution (C6) that is PFOA Free.
While C6 DWR treatments still have a degree of ecotoxicity concerns, these are at a vastly lower scale than their C8 predecessors. Salomon continues to test and research a range of non- fluorinated, non-PFC DWR treatments, with the ultimate goal being to continually reduce the environmental impact across the full product lifecycle, while delivering the performance and product lifespan that meet our brand standards.
That is why Salomon is committed to the following timeline to remove PFCs from its entire supply chain.
FTW = PFC free and PFC EC free in 2020
BAGS = PFC free in 2022
APPAREL & WSE = PFC free in 2023