Everyone wants their gear to last. But lasting too long, it turns out, is a real problem...
In 2025, the state of California will ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of clothing products that use fluorinated DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatments. The goal is to reduce the use of “forever chemicals” that have become a ubiquitous practice for weather and waterproofing outdoor apparel. As a company who manufactures, sells and distributes all our gear from right here in Grover Beach, California, we fit every facet of this policy.
And truth be told, while a number of our products are DWR treated, most of our fabrics do not contain these harmful chemicals, instead opting for vegetable based treatments. This already puts us well on our way to becoming totally PFC Free.
Why are Fluorocarbons - aka “forever chemicals” - bad?
Perflourinated compounds (which you’ll see referenced as PFC, PFOA, PFAS) are a part of the traditional DWR manufacturing process, and they never break down in the environment. They are used because of their exceptional resistance to water and staining. This big performance benefit has even bigger downsides. It is toxic to marine and other animal life, has been increasingly found in the tissues of humans, and earned its moniker “forever chemical,” because, well, it just never goes away.
What is Zero Carbon DWR?
Not all Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finishes are created equal…and that’s a good thing. Here at Voler, prior to any policy mandate, we had opted for less harmful fabrics and textiles whenever we could. Currently, all but a select few of Voler’s products use C-Zero DWR treatment. That means that instead of fluorocarbons, those harmful “forever chemicals”, the durable water repellent treated fabric we primarily source uses vegetable based technology instead, limiting its impact on the environment.
And we’re in the process of working toward a completely PFC DWR free line.
What We’re Doing About It
Already, our Winter Line of Artico X gear features Lombardia DWR fabric that has a vegetable based DWR treatment. Our Thermal and Super Thermal Jackets with Denali, as well as Thermal booties and rain jackets all contain similar PFAS-free DWR treatments. Because of these environmentally friendly treatments and fabrics, these lines and products carry OEKO TEX Standard 100 and/or bluesign certifications. This means they have been third party certified as being safe for the environment and human health.
As for any remaining products, we’re working with suppliers to source high performance alternatives to make our entire line PFC free.
We’re here for good, still independently owned and operated, so we can continue to do things better each day for our environment and community, near and far.
