Ban PFAS in Textiles (CA AB1817-Ting)

At a Glance

The California Safer Clothes and Textiles Act (AB 1817), authored by Assemblymember Ting and co-sponsored by BCPP, makes clothing and textiles safer for all of us by banning the sale of clothes, outdoor gear, and other textiles containing toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in CA. The bill was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom September 30, 2022.

PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down for centuries. PFAS build up in our bodies and the environment, endangering us and future generations. Widely used in clothing, outdoor gear, and other textiles (e.g. table cloths, curtains, furniture, mattress pads) to repel stains and water, textiles containing PFAS pollute people and the planet throughout their production, use, and disposal.

PFAS are linked to many serious health problems including breast and other cancers, birth defects, hormone disruption, kidney and liver damage, and thyroid disease. 

Additional bill co-sponsors included Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Clean Water Action. 

Read the Press Release

Fact Sheet AB 1817   Fact Sheet on Clothing Industry Leaders

Get PFAS Chemicals Out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP
Get PFAS out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP

 

Key facts about PFAS in textiles:

 

  • Safer alternatives for stain- and water- resistance for clothing and textiles already exist, as demonstrated by the numerous companies that have stopped using PFAS.
  • PFAS chemicals contaminate our bodies: they can be detected in the blood of nearly every American.
  • Disposal of products, including textiles, in landfills, through recycling, and through incineration, may result in PFAS chemicals seeping into groundwater and soil, contaminating drinking water, and entering the atmosphere. Contamination from these methods of disposal disproportionately impact environmental justice communities and add to the global burden and impact of these forever chemicals.
  • PFAS chemicals disrupt our immune systems, increasing our risk for COVID and reducing the health protective effect of vaccines. Studies show PFAS chemicals are linked to decreased antibody response to vaccines.
  • PFAS can build up in our bodies and it is estimated that over 98% of Americans have PFAS in their blood. PFAS can be transferred from mothers to their babies through the placenta before birth and through breast milk after birth.
Get PFAS Chemicals Out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP
Get PFAS Chemicals Out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP
Get PFAS out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP
Get PFAS out of Textiles CA AB1817 BCPP

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