GORE-TEX accused of greenwashing practices

The indictment focuses on greenwashing practices, a tactic employed by companies to manipulate public perception of their sustainability efforts. In this case, the focus is on W.L. Gore & Associates’ use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to the EPA, these compounds, which break down at an extremely slow rate, are linked to serious health problems, including cancer and infertility.

GORE-TEX, world renowned for its high-performance waterproof fabric technology, has used PFAS in the manufacture of its products for years. However, in the wake of increasing state-level regulations, W.L. Gore & Associates has sought to adapt by launching a PFAS-free version of its expanded polyethylene (ePE) membrane. On its website, the brand stresses that this new version of its technology ‘is PFAS-free and reduces the carbon footprint compared to its previous versions’. However, in the small print, they warn that the material ‘does not contain intentionally added substances or fluorination, but may contain traces’.

The lawsuit, however, claims that despite promises of a PFAS-free future, products that are not labelled as ‘next generation’ continue to be manufactured with these toxic compounds. According to the legal text, W.L. Gore & Associates has deliberately concealed, or carelessly ignored, the true nature of PFASs in its products, as well as their adverse effects on health and the environment. In December 2024, the firm was also sued for alleged environmental contamination from PFASs near its facilities in Elkton, Maryland.

In response to the allegations, a Gore spokesperson told Gear Junkie in a statement: ‘Gore stands firmly behind its claims and commitments to environmental responsibility, as well as the safety and performance of our GORE-TEX products.

Massimo Osti Studio presents Chapter 07, a reinvention of GORE-TEX INFINIUM™.