3M manufacturing giant to stop making 'forever chemicals'

Pancake cooking in frying pan

Manufacturing giant 3M has said 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 firm, which also makes Post-Its, cited increased regulatory and consumer concern about the substances, known as PFAS, to explain the move.

The chemicals are used in many everyday items, including food packaging.

Campaigners called the decision a "win for public health".

Known for their water-resistant and non-stick properties, the substances can be found in fire-fighting foams, mobile phones, clothing and non-stick cooking pans.

But researchers have long been concerned about the chemicals - known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS - because they do not break down under normal environmental conditions.

They have been found in dangerous concentrations in water, soil and food and can also linger in the body.

In August, the US said it was considering designating some "forever chemicals" - of which there are thousands - as hazardous. The UK and European Union have already taken steps to ban some of them, as have some local governments in the US.

Companies are also facing pressure from lawsuits and campaigners.

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In recent years, a growing number of major firms including McDonald's and Burger King, outdoor gear maker GoreTex and some UK supermarkets such as Asda and Co-op have pledged to phase out use of the chemicals.

McDonald's, for example, has said it will remove the chemicals from its fast food packaging by 2025.

In announcing its decision, 3M stood by the safety of the chemicals, which chief executive Mike Roman said "can be safely made and used".

But he said the firm saw an "opportunity to lead" and was positioning itself for long-term growth by moving to phase out the substances.

The company, which makes tens of thousands of industrial and everyday products, said it would honour current orders but stop making the chemicals by the end of 2025. It is also planning to phase out use of the substances in its own products by the end of that year.

"With these two actions, 3M is committing to innovate toward a world less dependent upon PFAS," the firm said.

The firm had already phased out use of two PFAS in the early 2000s. It said it currently generates about $1.3bn (£1.1bn) in sales each year by making the chemicals - less than 5% of its overall revenue.

Joseph Allen, an associate professor at Harvard's School of Public Health who has studied the substances, called the decision by 3M a "massive public health win", writing on Twitter that it marked "the beginning of the end of Forever Chemicals".

US-based advocacy organisation Toxic-Free Future said it "cautiously" applauded the move by 3M, adding that the company must still be held accountable for its role. Lawsuits have accused the firm of being aware of the risks of the chemicals since at least the 1970s.

"While today's news is a win for public health, 3M must be held accountable for their decades of pollution," said Mike Schade, director of the organisation's Mind the Store campaign. "No-one's drinking water should be polluted for a rain jacket."

Clare Cavers, senior project manager at UK-based environmental charity Fidra, also said while she welcomed 3M's decision, more needed to be done.

"Such voluntary action supports moves towards existing alternatives to PFAS, and we now need UK legislation to ensure these changes are replicated across all sectors," she said.