After more than a year of pressure from environmental groups, the major outdoor retailer REI announced on Tuesday that it will ban hazardous "forever chemicals" from its clothing and cookware by fall 2024.
REI's new product standards will require its suppliers to eliminate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from the pots, pans, apparel, shoes, bags, packs, and similar gear sold by the retail chain. Suppliers of heavy-duty apparel like professional-grade raincoats will have until 2026 to make those products PFAS-free.
