A recent article in the Guardian should alarm you, not just as a consumer, but as a printer who probably handles outdoor garments regularly in the shop.
Ethical Consumer, a campaigning magazine, examined 27 companies that make outdoor clothing such as fleeces and waterproof jackets, and found that 82% were still using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Some chemicals classed as PFAS have been associated with some serious health problems such as immune system disorders and cancers.
Some of the companies examined use no PFAS, others said they had plans to discontinue using them, but half had no plans in that regard at all. These PFAS are used extensively including for waterproofing outdoor garments, as you might know if you’ve ever printed on nylon jackets. The bad news is that PFAS has been found in many locations including rivers, on the slopes of Mount Everest, and in more than 600 species of animals from polar bears to dolphins.
If you weren’t aware of this before, you may now want to be cautious about where you resource your outdoor garments.