Manufacturing giant 3M has announced it will stop making and using so-called “forever chemicals,” common materials that have been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer.
The company, which also makes Post-Its, cited increasing concern from regulators and consumers about the substances known as PFAS to explain the move.
The materials were once popular for their water-repellent and non-stick properties.
They are used in many everyday objects.
This can include food packaging, fire-fighting foam, cell phones, clothing, and non-stick cooking pans.
But the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyls, or PFAS, have long worried researchers because they do not degrade under normal environmental conditions.
They have been found in water, soil and food at dangerous levels and can also remain in the body.
In August, the US said it was considering classifying some “forever chemicals” — of which there are thousands — as dangerous. The UK and European Union have already taken steps to ban some of them.
Businesses also face pressure from lawsuits and activists.
Announcing the move, 3M stood by the safety of the chemicals, which Chief Executive Mike Roman said “can be manufactured and used safely.”
But he said the company sees an “opportunity for leadership” and is positioning itself for long-term growth by phasing out the compounds.
The company, which makes tens of thousands of industrial and everyday products, said it will fulfill ongoing orders but will stop manufacturing the chemicals by the end of 2025. It also plans to phase out the use of the substances in its own products by the end of 2020 this year.
“With these two actions, 3M is committed to innovating for a world that is less dependent on PFAS,” the company said.
It said it currently generates about $1.3 billion (£1.1 billion) in sales each year from manufacturing the chemicals – less than 5% of its total sales.
Joseph Allen, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health who studied the substances, called the decision a “massive public health win.”
“The beginning of the end of Forever Chemicals,” he wrote on Twitter in response to the news.
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