PFAS: How to Keep Forever Chemicals Out of Your Supply Chain

Companies seeking PFAS-Free certification will need to implement an end-to-end supplier due diligence program including mapping, tracing and testing.

How is PFAS defined in the Supply Chain

PFAS - per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances - are widely used to make such products as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, but they have been found to persist in the environment and to pose significant health risks. With consumers seeking assurances that the products they buy are free of toxic ingredients companies will have to put new processes in place that make sure PFAS are completely absent, at every stage of their supply chain. 

Keeping PFAS Out of Your Supply Chain

Companies that want to market their products as 'PFAS-free' need to perform comprehensive due diligence on their entire supply chains to ensure that no material or process introduces one of the more than 11,000 different chemicals that fall under the PFAS designation. Fortunately, PFAS-free compliance can be achieved using the same business processes that companies use today to certify their supply chains are free of deforestation, forced labor, and a number of other complex issues. 

In addition, there are several laws including the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) that restrict the use of certain hazardous substances. These laws regulate and restrict certain types of PFAS that are known to be harmful to people and the environment.

In order to make certain their products are PFAS-free, companies need to map their supply chains: they must identify all of the companies that are involved in manufacturing products and their sub-components, from raw materials (mines, forests, farms) to manufacturing and packaging. Then, they must collect evidence that PFAS are not being introduced at any step of the way. Finally, they need to audit suppliers and test products on a regular basis, with mitigation plans in place when these verifications fail. 

Steps to Implementing a PFAS Free Program

Here is how companies can implement a PFAS-free program today:

1. Supplier communication plan: supply chain mapping relies on supplier participation, so companies need a comprehensive approach to announcement, training, onboarding and escalation if needed.

2. Sub-supplier discovery: Companies should expect to have between five and twenty-five times more suppliers in their supply chain than they have contracts with directly.  Companies with fewer than 50 direct suppliers may be able to map their entire supply chain by hand, for anyone else an automated solution is necessary to identify all upstream suppliers.

3. PFAS-free attestation: PFAS are endemic, so if they're used at any stage of the supply chain they could end up in the finished product. Companies need to collect evidence from every tier that PFAS are not introduced along the way.

4. Continuous Improvement: Even when suppliers avoid adding PFAS intentionally, they could show up in testing. No PFAS-free compliance is complete without a continuous process of testing and auditing.

Sourcemap offers the first PFAS-free supply chain mapping solution, which - together with a third-party testing and assurance partner - forms the foundation for assuring your customers that products are compliant. To find out more, contact info@sourcemap.com