100% PFC-free

Our clothes and all items of equipment are entirely PFC-free

Our commitment

Another important step towards sustainability and environmental friendliness! All our clothing items, packs and bags are completely 100% PFC-free as from spring/summer 2019.

That means the lion’s share of our products is completely PFC-free in advance of the set target date. You will find all PFC-free items in our online shop if you put a tick against the option PFC-free in the category "Attributes". All PFC-free, water-repellent items are also marked with the aforementioned symbol "100% PFC free".

Our challenge

What are PFCs?

Why are PFCs used in textile coatings?

What are PFCs?

PFCs (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds) are a large group of chemicals used as intermediate products and auxiliary materials as well as the degradation products of certain fluorine compounds.

They are surface-active substances in which fluorine atoms have entirely replaced the hydrogen atoms in the carbon chain. Combined with long fluoropolymers, their hydrophobic (water-repellent) and lipophobic (fat-repellent) features are applied to numerous consumer products. Fluoropolymers are therefore used in water, dirt and fat-repellent finishes on carpets, apparel and non-stick pots and pans.

Why are PFCs used in textile coatings?

PFCs are primarily used as polymers due to the permanent water-repellent and dirt-repellent characteristics they provide to impregnations (DWR) on the outer material of weatherproof apparel. Materials featuring this type of coating combine high water-repellent and dirt-repellent characteristics with exceptional durability and resistance.

Our motivation

Clothing is important to us. Very important since we wear it on a daily basis. It keeps us warm and protects us from environmental influences such as rain and snow.

Therefore, the production of our clothing is particularly essential to us because it means so much to us and our customers. We pay attention to which products are used in manufacturing, but also under what conditions these are also produced. As a manufacturer of outdoor clothing, we develop products for the outdoors in order to experience and explore nature. Consequently, maintaining nature and our living space is very important to us, as we, too, like to be outdoors and want to preserve the world for the generations to come.

Our partners

We’re not alone on our way to a sustainable collection. From an early stage, we have had partners at our side to help us achieve our goal. The Bluesign label ensures environmentally friendly production, whilst the Fair Wear Foundation checks the working conditions of employees in developing countries.

Would you like to know more about this topic? You’ll find our most important partners and their websites here.

We became a bluesign® system partner in 2011 in order to restrict the chemicals used during the manufacturing process.

We have been honoured with an award by the Fair Wear Foundation for our commitment to social, safe and fair working conditions in our supply chain. We have been awarded ‘Leader Status’ for the sixth time in a row since 2010.

FAQs

1. Why are PFCs used in textile coatings at all?

PFCs are primarily used due to the permanent water and dirt-repellent characteristics they provide to impregnations (DWR) on the outer material of weatherproof clothing. Aside from their water and dirt-repellent characteristics, these products are durable and resistant.

2. I have a Jack Wolfskin jacket that isn’t PFC-free. Can I continue to wear it in spite of this?

Yes, absolutely! Regulatory and supervisory boards all over the world have indicated that consumers who use outdoor products containing PFC are not subjected to higher levels of risk.

3. Are there alternatives to coatings containing PFCs?

Currently, there are a number of alternatives to water-repellent coatings containing PFCs. They are based on different technologies. Tests must be done on every single material and the correct coatings chosen. When it comes to water-repellent quality and durability, our PFC-free coatings are in no way inferior to ones containing PFCs. The only thing that is not currently possible with PFC-free coatings is an oil-repellent effect.

4. Do softshells and fleece jackets also have a water-repellent coating?

Softshell jackets that are only water-repellent and not waterproof have a coating on their outer layer, allowing water to drip off. From the summer collection 2019 onwards, all our softshell jackets are PFC-free. Fleece jackets have no water-repellent coating and are therefore completely PFC-free.

5. Are PFCs used in waterproof Texapore membranes and coatings?

Jack Wolfskin’s Texapore weatherproof technology is based on membranes and coatings made from polyurethane (PU). These membranes and coatings are extremely flexible and durable, and offer the very best wind and waterproofness as well as high breathability. No PFCs are used in Texapore products.