Update: On February 22, 2023, REI announced it will ban PFAS in all textiles and cookware from its suppliers, in a major update to its “Product Impact Standards” for its 1,000+ brand partners. REI’s restrictions take effect in the fall of 2024 for cookware and textile products including, but not limited to, apparel, accessories, footwear, packs, and bags.
Thank you to everyone who supported this advocacy initiative at our in-person action at REI Ann Arbor last fall or by signing the petition! Together, we did it!
Join us Friday, September 23, 2022, from 2 to 4 pm for an in-person action at REI Ann Arbor.
The outdoor gear industry has a toxic secret. Many popular outdoor brands use PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to waterproof their products—from jackets to boots. The production, use, and disposal of these products pollute people and the planet.
We’re joining the campaign to convince REI, one of the top outdoor retailers, to stop selling PFAS polluting products.
Please join us for our in-person demonstration at the REI store in Ann Arbor (970 W Eisenhower Pkwy) on Friday, September 23, from 2 to 4 pm. Together, we'll call on REI to phase out and ban PFAS in all of their products. Our demonstration will happen concurrently with protests across the country.
RSVP here.
If we all come together, we can convince the company to lead the outdoor industry away from these toxic chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to harmful health impacts, including cancer, hormone disruption, and immune system problems.
These outdoor products leave a toxic trail of pollution. Manufacturing a product like a jacket can pollute the drinking water around factories, which can often be located in low-income communities and communities of color. Then, retail workers can be exposed to PFAS in the store’s air and consumers (and the environment) can be exposed during use. Finally, when the product is thrown out, it can pollute the community around the landfill or incinerator where it ends up—and can even end up in wildlife like whales and polar bears.
With its strong commitment to sustainability, REI is the perfect company to lead the outdoor industry away from PFAS. No one’s drinking water should be polluted for a jacket. And no one should have to worry that their retail job exposes them to indoor air pollution.
Safer, innovative solutions are within reach—and the PFAS pollution crisis demands action now.
If you can't attend the event, you can still support the campaign. Sign the petition and Tell REI to be a leader and only sell products without PFAS!
The company has announced a phase-out of PFAS chemicals in a handful of product categories. This shows that REI executives know they have a responsibility to address PFAS, but it’s only a baby step that is nowhere near the scale that’s needed to address our toxic pollution crisis.
The time is now for the outdoor industry to switch to safer solutions. If we can get REI to take bold action, it will cause a huge reduction in pollution by the outdoor industry.
Let’s tell REI to only sell products without PFAS. If enough of us come together, we can get REI CEO Eric Artz to make a commitment. Will you help by signing today?