Sweden has proposed a national ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the chemical class known as “forever chemicals,” in clothing, footwear and several other consumer goods, moving ahead of a broader European Union restriction still working its way through Brussels.
The Swedish government opened a public consultation on the measure on July 23, with the ban set to take effect January 1, 2028. It would cover clothing, footwear, waterproofing treatments applied to garments and shoes, cookware, cosmetics and ski wax. Public authorities, companies, municipalities and individuals can submit comments on the proposal until November 30, 2026. Read Here
Romina Pourmokhtari, Sweden’s minister for climate and the environment, said PFAS have no place in clothing, cosmetics and other everyday products when workable alternatives already exist. She said Sweden does not intend to wait while the chemicals continue accumulating in homes, in nature and in human bodies, and described the national ban and accompanying action plan as a significant step up in ambition that gives authorities stronger tools to prevent new contamination and manage existing pollution.
PFAS comprise more than 10,000 synthetic compounds prized across manufacturing for their non-stick, water-repellent and heat-resistant properties. They break down extremely slowly in the environment, and chronic exposure has been linked to a range of adverse health effects, including elevated cancer risk, which has driven the “forever chemicals” nickname and mounting regulatory pressure globally.
The European Commission is expected to table a proposal in 2027 for an EU-wide restriction on PFAS in everyday consumer goods, including clothing and food packaging, with exemptions likely for strategic sectors such as medicine. Before it can act, the Commission needs a second opinion from the European Chemicals Agency on the socioeconomic impact of anti-PFAS measures, expected by year-end. A first scientific opinion published in late March already recommended a broad restriction. Once EU-level rules take effect, Sweden has indicated it would lift its national measure in favor of the bloc-wide framework.
Also Read: Bangladesh RMG Exports Edge Down 0.63% to $19.34bn in H1 2026
Sweden’s move follows a joint 2023 proposal to ECHA from five countries, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and non-EU member Norway, calling for a general PFAS ban. That proposal drew more than 5,600 submissions during ECHA’s public consultation, one of the highest volumes the agency has received, with a substantial share coming from corporations, law firms, trade groups and foreign industry coalitions.
Sweden joins a small but growing group of European countries acting nationally rather than waiting for Brussels. Denmark banned PFAS in food-contact paper and board in 2020 and extended restrictions to clothing, footwear and waterproofing agents this July. France has prohibited the chemicals in cosmetics and in textiles for clothing, footwear and ski wax since the start of 2026, though enforcement has lagged; a recent report noted the French ban remained unenforced as of June due to insufficient inspection capacity, a gap that could foreshadow implementation challenges for Sweden’s own measure. Norway, though not an EU member, has also pushed for coordinated Nordic action on the chemicals through the same five-country ECHA submission.
Outside the EU, several U.S. states, including Maine, Minnesota and California, have introduced their own PFAS restrictions in the absence of federal action, underscoring a broader international shift away from the chemicals in consumer textiles even as coordinated global regulation remains fragmented.
For apparel and footwear brands sourcing into the Swedish and wider Nordic market, the proposal adds to a lengthening list of national PFAS rules that manufacturers and suppliers will need to track separately from the EU’s eventual bloc-wide standard, particularly for waterproof and technical textile lines that have historically relied on fluorochemical treatments. Industry groups are likely to weigh in during the consultation window, given the scale of submissions that accompanied the earlier five-country ECHA proposal.
Brands with waterproof outerwear, footwear and technical apparel lines sold in Sweden will need to confirm PFAS-free formulations for durable water repellent coatings well ahead of the 2028 deadline, given typical product development and testing lead times in the sector. Suppliers already reformulating for France’s and Denmark’s national rules may find the transition to Swedish requirements less disruptive than brands entering the PFAS-restriction landscape for the first time.