PFAS Regulations Are Changing Fast: What the Textile Industry Can Teach Us

PFAS regulation in the United States is evolving rapidly, creating a growing challenge for companies trying to understand where PFAS are present, which rules apply, and when they must act. The textile industry today provides a particularly clear example.

PFAS have been used in textiles and fabric treatments to provide water-, oil-, and stain resistance. But manufacturers, brands, and importers now face an increasingly complex question: How do you maintain product performance and a national supply chain when PFAS requirements differ across jurisdictions?

One Country, Different PFAS Requirements

At the federal level, the U.S. EPA's PFAS reporting rule under TSCA Section 8(a)(7) requires reporting concerning PFAS manufactured or imported during the period , including information on uses, production volumes, exposure, disposal, and hazards. Importantly, EPA is still revising aspects of the rule and its reporting timeline, showing that the federal framework itself continues to evolve.

States, meanwhile, are moving ahead with their own requirements.

New York: January 1, 2025, New York has prohibited intentionally added PFAS in apparel. A separate prohibition covering outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions takes effect January 1, 2028.

Minnesota: Beginning January 1, 2025, Minnesota prohibited intentionally added PFAS in 11 product categories, including fabric treatments and textile furnishings. Manufacturers of products containing intentionally added PFAS also face reporting requirements, with initial reports due September 15, 2026. By 2032, Minnesota's law is scheduled to prohibit intentionally added PFAS across products unless the use qualifies as a "currently unavoidable use."

California: Since January 1, 2025, California's AB 1817 prohibits textile articles containing regulated PFAS. The law also requires manufacturers replacing PFAS to use the least toxic alternative. California's experience shows the potential impact of substitution: DTSC estimates that changes in the carpet and rug industry are preventing nearly 250,000 pounds of PFAS from entering California homes and workplaces annually.

For textile businesses selling nationwide, complying with one rule therefore does not necessarily mean complying everywhere.

The Supply Chain Becomes the Compliance Challenge

The problem goes beyond just knowing the law and latest regulations.  A textile brand may need information from chemical suppliers, fabric manufacturers, treatment providers, component manufacturers, and overseas suppliers before they can confidently determine whether PFAS are intentionally present.

Minnesota's implementation illustrates how significant this responsibility can become. Manufacturers must report information including the identity, concentration, and function of intentionally added PFAS in applicable products. If a supplier doesn't provide the necessary information, the manufacturer must still continue its due diligence and report using the best information available.

That changes PFAS compliance from a regulatory checklist into a data and supply-chain management problem.

What Should Textile Companies Do Now?

Rather than reacting to each new law individually, textile companies can begin developing a repeatable PFAS strategy:

• Map PFAS use across fabrics, coatings, treatments, components, and suppliers.
• Map regulatory requirements against the markets where each product is sold.
• Identify data gaps where suppliers cannot confirm chemical composition.
• Prioritize high-risk applications where PFAS substitution may be required.
• Evaluate alternatives against performance, hazard, exposure, sustainability, and regulatory criteria.
• Document decisions and evidence to create a defensible record as requirements change.

The objective is to move from repeatedly asking, "Are we compliant with this new PFAS law?" to understanding where PFAS dependency exists across the portfolio and having a plan to reduce it.

How SaferWorldbyDesign Can Help

SaferWorldbyDesign helps companies turn evolving PFAS requirements into an actionable substitution and compliance strategy.

For textile companies, SWBD can help identify and assess PFAS uses, evaluate safer alternatives, compare substitution options, and apply Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles to support informed material and product decisions. This helps companies prioritize where substitution is most urgent and identify alternatives that balance safety, sustainability, performance, and regulatory requirements.

The goal is not simply to comply with the next PFAS deadline. It is to build products and supply chains that remain compliant, competitive, and prepared for the next wave of PFAS regulation.

References

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “TSCA Section 8(a)(7) Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for PFAS.”
   https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/tsca-section-8a7-reporting-and-recordkeeping
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Update on Reporting Deadline for TSCA PFAS Reporting Rule.”
   https://www.epa.gov/chemicals-under-tsca/update-reporting-deadline-tsca-pfas-reporting-rule
3. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). “PFAS in Apparel Law.”
   https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/pollution-prevention/pfas-in-apparel-law
4. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). “Reporting PFAS in Products.”
   https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/reporting-pfas-in-products
5. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). “PFAS Prohibitions.”
   https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/pfas-prohibitions
6. California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). “PFAS in Textile Articles (AB 1817)” and “Carpets and Rugs Containing PFAS.”
   https://dtsc.ca.gov/scp/