PFAS headlines are everywhere, and regulators are moving faster than ever.
For retailers, this isn’t a “maybe someday” issue anymore. Consumers and regulators won’t tolerate PFAS in products or packaging. It’s not if you’ll have to stop selling them — it’s when.
The real question: do you know your PFAS surface area, and are you already tagging it?
Here’s a PFAS pulse for retailers — where regulations and enforcement stand today:
State Roll-Ups (Sept 2025)
California
Ban clock ticking: The ban on intentionally added PFAS in cosmetics is now live. Enforcement is already shifting from “educational” to “investigational.”
Retail impact: Beauty SKUs (lip products, mascaras, lotions) are most exposed. Suppliers need to prove “PFAS-free” — or you risk delisting.
New York
Textiles ban: PFAS in apparel and textiles is banned as of January 2025, but DEC inspectors are now doing spot-checks in major retail outlets.
Broad product phaseout: Law requires reporting on intentionally added PFAS across nearly all consumer products starting 2026. Retail impact: Retailers should start data collection now. Even if products aren’t banned yet, reporting requirements will make missing data a liability.
Maine
Original PFAS reporting state — but regulators just extended deadlines for some categories to 2026 after industry pushback.
Retail impact: Don’t get comfortable. Maine is still the state other AGs call when deciding how aggressive to be.
Enforcement Watch
FTC “Green Guides” updates are coming — and PFAS-free claims are squarely in scope. Retailers who market PFAS-free without solid evidence are painting a bullseye on their backs.
Class actions are rising: Several new suits filed against consumer brands in Q3 cited “undisclosed PFAS” in packaging and product coatings. Plaintiffs’ bar is circling retail. EPA’s final TSCA risk determination on certain PFAS is expected before year’s end — retail packaging suppliers will feel it first.
What Retailers Should Do (Now)
Audit “PFAS-free” claims — make sure suppliers can back them up.
Spot-check high-risk categories: cosmetics, apparel, cookware, and packaging.
Start gathering product data early, especially if you sell in MN or ME. Reporting will hit harder than bans.
Train teams: Your legal/compliance teams may know PFAS; your category buyers may not. Bring them in early.
The Smarter Sorting Angle
We don’t only tell you that the regulation exists, we also tell you which of your products are affected, right now.
Our AI models:
Enrich messy supplier data, filling in gaps around ingredients.
Scope products against every PFAS regulation on the books.
Classify: Is this SKU compliant, at risk, or illegal?
No spreadsheets, no weeks of chasing suppliers. Just clarity at shelf speed.
The Takeaway
PFAS regulations are moving from “future worry” to “today’s problem” for retailers. The enforcement shift is happening now — and the winners will be the retailers who can enrich, classify, and act before the AG’s office comes knocking.
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