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@Chopsicle
On the PFOA/Fluorinated coatings & chemistry, something that puzzled me for years is - and this entirely my conclusion - is that they are also used in the best-performing membrane production. This seemed to be an elephant in the room, that no-one wanted to acknowledge, or look into alternatives. I say, my conclusion, because there was zero information about it.
The most 'breathable/waterproof' membranes use ePTFE - expanded polytetrafluoroethylene - to create a hydrophobic microporous structure. Clearly a fluorinated polymer, which utilises PFOAs (or similar) in production
For years, countries and the outdoor industry has been phasing out fluorinated DWR coatings - great! - yet the membrane was never mentioned? You have garments sold on the eco DWR (and recycled content), but the same old chemistry sandwiched inside the fabric - ?? And no discussion about this paradox. Infact, if you look at membrane websites etc, ePTFE is actively omitted from copy, with more woolly language around it.
So, was amazed to see this today - very precisely worded to avoid drawing attention to the bulk of their business, and a mention of PFC's (perfluorinated chemicals) at the end
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timnewcomb/2021/09/29/gore-tex-announces-thinner-sustainable-membrane-for-apparel-footwear/
As I say, this is entirely my conjecture (and I'd love to be wrong!), but it seems insane that was largely being ignored until now.
nb. it's worth highlighting that it's not the actual DWR or ePTFE that is toxic, but the PFOA and similar compound byproducts created in the manufacture. They're actually massively stable ...hence why they're also so persistent in the environment :/