3M might just escape its toxic chemical legacy

By Brooke Sutherland and Kiel Porter | Businessweek | September 30, 2025

Read the full article by Brooke Sutherland and Kiel Porter (Businessweek)

"The Command strip is one of those quintessential 3M products. Released in 1996, it was simple yet revolutionary, strong enough to hold items without stripping paint when removed. Soon it was fastening framed photos, bathroom towels and outdoor decorations around the world.

The adhesive that made the strip possible was invented by a 3M scientist in the late 1980s. The exact science is a closely guarded secret, but it can resist gravity while somehow pulling away clean when tugged as instructed. In hindsight the market for such an invention is obvious, and yet it was almost lost to corporate bureaucracy. 3M shelved the project at one point in the ’90s and revived it only after impassioned pleas from a determined product development executive. His persistence paid off: Within three years of its debut, the Command strip was turning a $10 million profit. 3M Co. now sells more than 200 varieties, bringing in $500 million a year."