In September 2024, AMI held its first PFAS Workshop in Brussels providing an opportunity for delegates to be briefed on the current status of the proposed PFAS regulations for Europe.

The opening session described the changing landscape of EU proposals for controlling PFAS and PFAS-derived materials, which was followed by some further detail and definitions provided by engaging, expert speakers, and debates that included views from all positions in the discussion.

Having established the background (did you know that conservative estimates suggest that over 10,000 individual compounds will be affected?) the next session examined market specifics including both the challenges and opportunities.

The event closed with a very lively panel discussion featuring industry experts from TWI, Cargill Bioindustrial, Baerlocher, Royal Society of Chemistry, Plastics Europe and ChemSec (International Chemical Secretariat). The panel addressed the viability of a PFAS-free future and explored potential timelines for achieving this goal.

My role at AMI enables me to moderate a number of industry events and, as an Engineer, it is evident that any restriction on the use of PFAS and PFAS-derived materials is going to affect the whole of the plastics industry; there are no sectoral boundaries. This is already causing manufacturing corporations to re-examine supply chain risk analyses in order to mitigate future issues, including supplier management processes.

As we look forward to this year’s edition, taking place in Brussels on 2-3 June, positioned to run ahead of AMI’s Textiles Recycling Expo, we can take a look at some of the changes that are already taking place. There is still significant momentum behind the potential regulation, with regular updates in the public domain. In December 2024, the European Council formally adopted the European Union’s long-anticipated Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) legislation, which contains direct reference to PFAS and related, future, regulations. Meanwhile, as this piece is being written (February 2025) the news is breaking that France has passed a new law that will ban PFAS in several products including clothing and cosmetics, following a trend already set by Denmark.

Change for the plastics industry is coming. Join us at AMI’s European PFAS Workshop in June to better understand the shape and form of this future change for Europe. If you are based in North America, join us for the North America edition in Cleveland on 11 November 2025, for an update on the US regulatory landscape.

I look forward to this year’s event!

Richard Shepherd CEng, Consultant
E/ richard.shepherd@amiplastics.com