PFAS: managing fluorinated substances upstream

• "PFAS substance collection" supplier questionnaire
• PFAS material assessment grid integrated into the catalog
• Material composition with PFAS families and thresholds
• PFAS substance campaigns across the supplier panel

Regulatory framework

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are under growing regulatory pressure in Europe: REACH restrictions, sector-specific bans (textile, packaging, cosmetics) and "PFAS-free" customer requirements.

For material purchases, the challenge is twofold: knowing whether PFAS are present in the composition, and being able to prove it, or prove their absence, with reliable, dated supplier data.

What the buyer must require

Evidence needs to be verifiable, dated and tied to a specific reference. A generic statement isn't enough.

• PFAS declaration per reference: presence, families concerned, concentrations if known.
• PFAS-free certificate or documented substitution plan for the ranges concerned.
• Update on every formulation or production site change.
• Alignment with customer thresholds and internal restricted-substance lists.

Manage compliance over time

Suplylot links PFAS collection to structured material composition: substance families, regulatory status and targeted campaigns on sensitive textile, packaging or coating references.

• Map "PFAS-sensitive" materials in the purchasing repository.
• Launch annual campaigns targeting dye, film and coating suppliers.
• Keep a history of responses for customer audits and CSR reviews.

Useful sources

ECHA : PFAS under REACH