CHEM Trust is joining health and environment NGOs in the UK urgently calling on the Government to ban the use of all PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances – otherwise known as the “forever chemicals”. PFAS are used in a wide range of consumer products due to their ability to repel both grease and water, including non stick cookware and cosmetics. 

Why are we calling for this?

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals that do not degrade in the environment. They pose a threat to our health, are fuelling the biodiversity crisis and have created an irreversible toxic legacy of global contamination. PFAS is widespread in UK surface water and is accumulating in our bodies and that of our children. All of this represents an unacceptable risk to the wellbeing of current and future generations.

Why act now?

Scientists have warned that we have already surpassed the planetary limit for chemical pollution and urgent action is therefore needed to reduce the production and release of chemicals as persistent PFAS. A recent report from the UK Environment Agency suggests that global PFAS contamination could take hundreds of years to reverse after cessation of emissions. Action is needed now.

What do we want?

Our key ask is to ban the production and use of all PFAS as one group by 2025. There are currently thousands of chemicals in the PFAS family, but we only have information on the toxicity of a handful of these. We do not have time to let PFAS continue to accumulate in our bodies and in the environment whilst we wait for scientific studies to show how harmful each substance is. This is why we are urgently asking for a ban on the whole group of chemicals.

Read more about what we are calling for in our joint statement.

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