New York plans for Dec. 31 ban on 'forever chemicals' in apparel

Everything from dancewear, leggings, scarves to even diapers must not contain PFAS in order to be sold in New York.

Following California's recent ban of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS, in clothes and makeup, New York is amending its environmental code to ban clothing with PFAS from being sold in the state. Recently signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the measure is set to take effect on Dec. 31 of this year.

While the bill applies to apparel, everything from overalls to leggings, it exempts professional uniforms or outerwear intended for extreme conditions.

In reporting by Albany-based Nick Reisman of State of Politics, several proponents offered their perspective on the PFAS clothing ban.

“It’s fantastic to see New York joining California in phasing out toxic ‘forever’ PFAS chemicals in clothes. It’s important that we do away with unnecessary uses of these harmful chemicals wherever possible to protect people’s health and safety,” says Avi Kar, senior attorney and senior director for Health & Food at the National Resource Defense Council. “This is not the first PFAS law New York has passed, and it shouldn’t be its last. New York continues to build on its leadership by enacting this law that adds to previous bans on PFAS in firefighting foam and paper-based food packaging.”

Sponsor and Assemblywoman Pat Fahy adds:

“This year was another marked by strong action taken by New York State on reducing the public’s exposure to dangerous and toxic chemicals,” she says. “Gov. Hochul’s signature of my legislation banning toxic PFAS chemicals in common forms of apparel will continue New York’s reputation as a national leader in PFAS action. All of these actions ensure that New Yorkers will be at the forefront of protecting the public’s health and reduction of exposure to dangerous and toxic classes of chemicals.”

Austin Keating is the editor of Remediation Technology, a BNP Media publication launched in Sept. 2022. Austin is from Mattoon, IL, and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in journalism. Following graduation in 2016, he worked as a science writer and videographer for the university’s supercomputing center. In 2018, Austin obtained a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he was the campus correspondent for Planet Forward and a Comer scholar. He then served as an award-winning field editor for America's oldest continuously published magazine, Prairie Farmer, before joining BNP in 2021, becoming editor of SNIPS Magazine and the now discontinued Point of Beginning Magazine.