The mooted EU ban on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyls opens the door for companies to develop replacements and create new markets
Sample bottles for PFAS testing. Photo credits: Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy / Flickr
The EU is putting together a blanket ban on the ‘forever chemicals’ which are highly toxic and resistant to breakdown in the environment, but Mario Draghi’s recent report on European competitiveness pushed back on this, saying there are no alternatives to these perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and banning them will slow deployment of clean technologies.
For start-ups working on alternatives, however, the scope and timing of a PFAS ban is crucial for the development of their market. “Having regulations, but with a systematic and reasonable timeframe, is critical for driving innovation for the next generation of membranes,” said Liam Hardey, co-founder and chief executive of Cellfion, a Swedish start-up developing cellulose-based ion exchange membranes for energy applications.<…
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