Australia must urgently fast-track and expand the proposed ban on using Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and other forever chemicals. This is according to the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR).
There are considerable health concerns about PFAS in the human body. The extent of those dangers has not been immediately revealed by chemical giant 3M.
WMRR is concerned that under the current government proposal, only three (3) out of the over 4,000 types will be banned from importation to Australia from 1 July 2025.
WMRR believes this should be expanded to include all types of PFAS and other persistent organic chemicals (POPS). They are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment or the human body.
“The current proposal to phase out just three (3) types of PFAS does not go far enough nor move fast enough,” WMRR Chief Executive Officer Gayle Sloan said. “Regulators will simply play ‘whack a mole’ as new chemical variants come on the market. Let’s get it right from the beginning and ban them all now. Australia must also introduce a comprehensive system that supports the ban. This includes introducing an EU-style labelling scheme for all products currently containing PFAS and other POPs.”
PFAS, forever chemicals ban needs to happen faster
“There is currently no program in Australia that requires identification and labelling of POPs in packaging or consumer items. Such a program would allow people to make informed choices about whether they want these chemicals in their homes,” said Sloan.
“We need to back all this up with a national program. It would require domestic and international manufacturers to remove, report and identify hazardous chemicals within the products they produce and supply.
“The waste and resource recovery sector recognises there will be legacy material that we can deal with safely at our highly engineered containment facilities as we have for years. However, it cannot be left to our sector alone to deal with PFAS and POPs at the end of life.
“Strong action is needed to design them out of Australia now, or risk becoming the global dumping ground given other countries have taken this action years ago.
“The best outcome is if they are not used in products in the first place.
“WMRR also calls on all governments to urgently prioritise the PFAS NEMP 3.0 finalisation, which closed for consultation in February 2023.
“Industry and the community both need certainty. Ideally, we need it now,” Sloan said.
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