Abstract
Bowing to pressure from activist groups, Gore Fabrics says it is working to eliminate perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) of environmental concern from its products. Gore supplies water-resistant fabrics to many leading outdoor apparel makers, including Patagonia and The North Face. High-performance outerwear is commonly coated with a PFC-based barrier to improve water resistance. But those coatings can wear off and escape into the environment. Greenpeace and other environmental groups have targeted PFCs, a large family of chemicals, because they persist in the environment and have been found in arctic polar bears’ livers and human blood. Some PFCs have been shown to have negative health effects. Although it is not clear what proportion of PFCs found in the environment come from water-resistant clothing, Greenpeace has been campaigning since 2012 to get outdoor apparel makers to stop using the coatings and switch to alternatives. For Gore, eliminating all fluorinated chemicals is not on
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
