By making more sustainable choices, you make a (cleaner) world of difference. You can opt for outdoor clothing that is free from PFAS and made with consideration for both people and the environment. With our new Virga winter jackets, you step outside with a good feeling.

There's still significant room for improvement in sustainability within the textile industry. Blue LOOP Originals' mission is to make the textile industry more sustainable by exploring eco-friendly solutions for materials often viewed as 'waste', including the elimination of PFAS. We'd like to explain what PFAS exactly is and why we aim to eradicate it.

What is PFAS?
PFAS is a collective term for thousands of human-made chemical substances that don't naturally occur in the environment. These chemicals come with a range of useful properties beneficial for outdoor gear, such as heat resistance and providing products with a water and dirt repellent layer. There's a chance that your set of camping cookware and rain jacket contain PFAS particles. Despite their small size, these particles have a significant downside: they are harmful to both humans and the environment.

As it's not a natural material, water, light, and air have no effect on the molecules, allowing the substance to persist in nature for extended periods and spread via rivers, seas, and air. PFAS has even been found in remote areas of Antarctica!

How does PFAS ends up in the environment?
PFAS can enter the environment in various ways. The particles can be both loosely and tightly integrated into the material of products. For instance, PFAS is released when using a waterproofing agent to make your raincoat water-resistant, or when scratching the non-stick coating of your camping cookware with a fork. This isn't the only way these substances find their way outside.

Particles can be released during the production process and while wearing your outdoor clothing. The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam scrutinized textiles with coated or water-repellent layers, exposing them to different weather elements. It was revealed that PFAS was released due to the influence of sun and rain on outdoor clothing.

Fortunately, there are much more environmentally friendly solutions to make and produce water-resistant outdoor clothing. Blue LOOP Originals' Virga Iso Parka and Virga Iso Long Jacket are free from 'forever chemicals'. This positively impacts the entire life cycle of the jacket. Besides being harmful, PFAS also causes issues in clothing recycling. For a safe circular textile chain, it's crucial not to mix textiles containing PFAS with other materials."