Fashion for Good Launches Project DW(O)R-X to Benchmark PFAS Alternatives
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Collaborative initiative will assess nine durable water- and oil-repellent chemistries across performance, environmental impact and cost
The move towards PFAS alternatives has gained momentum, but several challenges remain in evaluating available solutions.
Many existing alternatives do not yet match the oil repellency and long-term durability of PFAS-based finishes. At the same time, there is no unified approach to assessing their performance, while existing testing protocols may not fully reflect real-world use.
These differences make direct comparisons between solutions difficult. Current benchmarks also do not necessarily reflect the capabilities of today's PFAS alternative technologies, creating a need for updated benchmarks that can identify leading solutions, highlight performance gaps and support research and development as well as scale-up efforts.
Environmental and health considerations are another part of the assessment. As the industry seeks suitable alternatives, evaluating these impacts is important to minimise the risk of regrettable substitution, where one problematic substance is replaced by another without sufficient understanding of its potential effects.
Nine PFAS Alternative Solutions to Be Benchmarked
Project DW(O)R-X will benchmark nine PFAS alternative solutions, covering technologies ranging from early-stage innovations to established chemistries.
The assessment will examine three dimensions:
- Performance
- Environmental impact
- Cost
To support the performance assessment, project partners have developed a framework intended to better reflect real-world applications through multi-condition testing and the use of custom stains relevant to sportswear and outerwear.
The testing will include stains such as soil, sunscreen and sweat.
Brands, Manufacturers and Technology Providers Join Project
The initiative brings together industry stakeholders from across the fashion and textile value chain.
Leading brands participating in the project include adidas and C&A. Manufacturing partners include Shahi Exports, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials and Wujiang Fuhua Fabric Co.
Technology providers involved in the project are Archroma, Daikin Chemicals Europe, Dow, Dryfiber, Jintex, Lamoral Coatings, Pulcra Chemicals, Rudolf and vandeyk.tech.
SGS will conduct the performance testing.
The collaborative approach is intended to provide comparable information on PFAS alternative DW(O)R chemistries and support industry stakeholders in assessing available solutions across performance, environmental impact and cost.