Our products contain no PFOS or PFOA !PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) are chemical substances commonly used in non-stick and water-repellent finishes, and in some waterproof films. These substances are never used in the manufacture of our fabrics. The AKAS-Wazoodle manufacturer's contract of trustNone of Wazoodle's fabric brands use PFOS or PFOA in their manufacture or finishing. This includes all fabrics under the Zorb®, ProSoft® PUL, ProSoft Food Safe®, ProCare FoodSafe®, ProCool® Performance, PROTEC® Microfleece, ProECO® Bamboo & Organic Cotton, ProECO® Merino Wool, AKAStiq® Loop brands.
All these fabrics are made in the USA (except one, which is made in Canada) and are free from BPA (Bisphenol A), PFOS and PFOA.
Find out more about our waterproof and water-repellent fabrics below. What are PFOS and PFOA?They are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; PFOS is perfluro-octane sulfonate and PFOA is perfluro-octanoic acid. These compounds are used in a wide variety of consumer products, including stain-resistant upholstery fabrics and carpets, non-stick cookware, paints, coatings and more. In the textile world, they are used in water-repellent fabric finishes. Detailed information is available on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website (https://www.epa.gov/pfas).
These substances have been used in many industries around the world, including in the USA, since the 1940s. Some of these chemicals are no longer manufactured in the USA as a result of phase-outs, including the EPA's PFOA Stewardship Program (https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas#tab-3) under which eight major chemical manufacturers have agreed to eliminate the use of PFOA and PFOA-related chemicals in their products and in emissions from their facilities.
Although PFOA and PFOS are no longer used in the U.S., they are still used elsewhere in the world and can be imported into the U.S. in consumer goods such as carpets, leather and clothing, textiles, paper and packaging, coatings, rubber and plastics. You can read the EPA's actions in full at this link (https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epa-actions-address-pfas). How are they used in textiles?In the textile industry, the water- and stain-repellent finishes used on fabrics were manufactured using PFOS and PFOA. These included well-known brands such as 3M's ScotchGuard and Dupont's Teflon. As part of the PFOA control program, companies such as Dupont and 3M have committed to eliminating their use and have developed new technologies. We have been monitoring developments since 2010. PUL and ProCare waterproof textilesWaterproofing uses thin films or coatings attached to the back of fabrics to prevent water from passing through. Some fabrics use PTFE films. GORE-TEX® is the best-known brand of membrane made from PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), which contains fluorocarbons. ProSoft® PUL and ProCare® products do NOT use PTFE in their composition. PUL is made from a Bayer polyurethane film bonded to a polyester or cotton fabric that we also manufacture (ProCool®, ProEco® or Zorb® brands). ProCare uses a safe, non-toxic polyvinyl coated on a polyester fabric. Both are PFAS-free. |