Dick’s Sporting Goods bans PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in its textiles

By Toxic Free Future | Stephanie Stohler | June 15, 2023

Read the full article by Stephanie Stohler (Toxic-Free Future)

“Outdoor athletic retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods quietly announced it will ban PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in its own-brand textile products. This action was part of a major update to its Restricted Substance List (RSL) created in March. The company is one of the largest sporting retailers in the nation, operating more than 850 stores and, as of 2022, earning $12.37 billion in sales.

This commitment follows mounting public pressure and new state bans on PFAS. A 2022 study by Toxic-Free Future that found PFAS in jackets and other textiles sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods and other retailers was the basis for a nationwide campaign challenging retailers like REI to stop using PFAS. That campaign, led by Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program in partnership with Safer States allies and other organizations, held public actions across the U.S. demanding action. REI announced a ban on PFAS in February, one month prior to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ new commitment. In 2022, California and New York passed legislation to restrict PFAS in apparel and other textiles.

The production and disposal of PFAS have polluted communities and contaminated the drinking water of millions of U.S. residents across the U.S., including at Daikin’s PFAS facility in Decatur, AL and Chemours’ PFAS plant in Fayetteville, NC, to name a few."

This content provided by the PFAS Project.