UL Solutions Launches Non PFAS Certification

UL Solutions announced its new service to certify that plastic materials and components do not contain a group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.”

UL Solutions is a safety science company based in Illinois that delivers testing, inspection and certification services as well as software products and advisory offerings.

PFAS are a group of thousands of manufactured substances used to make plastics that resist water, dirt, oil, heat, stains and grease. A wide range of products include plastics containing PFAS, which are highly persistent in the environment and can pose hazards to humans and animals.

“Regulators globally are responding to rising concerns about the potential long-term impact of PFAS on health and the environment with new requirements that have sweeping implications affecting many industries and product safety and performance,” says Paul Ngai, vice president and general manager of the Engineered Materials group at UL Solutions. “Our new non-PFAS certification can help plastics suppliers and their customers bring safer and more sustainable products to market.”

UL Solutions tests plastic materials for common PFAS compounds and fluorine according to its publication UL 746G, titled the Outline of Investigation for Non-Fluorine and Non-PFAS Containing Materials. This new service introduces a Non-PFAS or Non-Fluorine Materials Certification to the UL Solutions Yellow Card Plastics Recognition Program, a widely recognized program that helps customers demonstrate the safety, quality and performance of plastics through third-party certification. The program helps designers, engineers and suppliers address sustainability and new and emerging PFAS requirements by finding providers of recognized plastics in the UL Product iQ database.

The new non-PFAS certification is available to plastics suppliers globally.