H&M have announced that from the 1st of January 2013, they will ban the use of perfluorinated compounds (PFC's) from their products.
PFC's are used as a finishing agent for waterproofing materials. The compound is known to be ubiquitous, appearing on items such as jackets, coats, shoes, shower curtains and tents. PFC's are also persistently harmful for the environment. PFC's are proposed as a new class of 'persistent organic pollutants'. As the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond in PFC's is so strong, the compound does not degrade; PFC's are found in water, food samples, in animals and mammals and even human breast milk and blood.
In 2011, after Greenpeace released a report about toxic pollution in the garment industry, H&M teamed up with Adidas, C&A, Li Ning, Nike and Puma to lead the industry toward zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.
H&M are also a part of AFIRM, an international team of leading companies within the textiles and footwear industries that seek to reduce the use of harmful substances in the industry.
H&M PUTS BAN ON PERFLUORINATED COMPOUNDS
SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS
