The final ZeroF event introduced PFAS-free coatings for food packaging and upholstery textiles, exploring technical feasibility, regulatory alignment, consumer acceptance, and future market potential.
The European research project ZeroF marked an important milestone at its last stakeholder event “PFAS FREE FUTURE – Safe and Sustainable Alternatives for Packaging and Textiles” held in Barcelona last November. After three years of EU- and Swiss-funded research, the project presents a PFAS-free coating solution for food packaging and upholstery textiles, showing promising progress in performance, safety and sustainability assessments, alignment with new EU regulations by 2030, and increased consumer awareness.
Why PFAS-free matters now: Insights from ZeroF
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used to improve the water, oil, and stain resistance of products. Due to persistence, bioconcentration, and health risks, the EU plans to phase out the use of non-essential PFAS by 2030 under the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, Zero Pollution Action Plans, national measures, and proposed REACH restrictions. At the project’s final event, 12 ZeroF partners shared insights into the evolving regulatory landscape driving the transition to PFAS-free solutions. The discussion addressed the technical, safety, and market factors needed for broader adoption and focused on three questions: Are viable PFAS-free alternatives available? How will EU regulations change? And what does this mean for research, industry, and consumers?
ZeroF partner TEMAS Solutions highlighted that Europe is entering a highly regulated decade. The Green Deal restructures policies on chemicals, packaging and textiles, introducing stricter rules on food contact materials, packaging waste and ecodesign, as well as increasing expectations around recyclability, microfiber emissions and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). These changes are improving standards for the use of PFAS as well as overall material safety and circularity. Packaging and textile products that prevent recycling or contain PFAS may already fail to meet evolving regulations, even before the full ban goes into effect. Clear timelines and consistent standards for recyclability and PFAS-free claims are essential to support early adopters and avoid fragmentation of national approaches. Against this backdrop, ZeroF’s final event demonstrated the transition from regulatory awareness to real action and introduced some of the first PFAS-free solutions available in the wild.
ZeroF solutions for upholstery textiles
ZeroF upholstery textiles are based on the advanced ORMOCER® hybrid coating developed by Fraunhofer ISC, which integrates inorganic and organic materials to create a durable, water- and oil-repellent and easy-to-clean layer. The coating was applied and validated by Leitat in collaboration with E.Cima and Textiles.CAT with a focus on optimizing the performance of the prototype upholstery textile, scaling up production and compatibility with conventional textile machinery.
Testing of ZeroF’s coated upholstery fabrics has shown excellent water repellency and good oil repellency against cooking oils and more difficult oils, making it suitable for most indoor uses, but still not as strong as traditional PFAS-based coatings. Semi-industrial tests have shown that it can be applied to standard textile machinery using stuffing or exhaustion. Next steps include improving stability, abrasion resistance, and durability through repeated cleanings, demonstrating that a practical PFAS-free coating is achievable. ZeroF experts pointed out that current standards often do not meet PFAS-free materials, especially in terms of oil and stain repellency. Updated benchmarks are needed to define appropriate performance standards, giving policymakers the opportunity to better align chemicals policy, product standards, and circular economy goals.
What ZeroF provided for packaging
For food packaging, VTT, in collaboration with partners Kemira and Yangi, has developed a new coating primarily based on modified polysaccharides (such as cellulose and starch) reacted with long-chain fatty acids called CeFAE materials. These bio-based coatings were applied as water-based dispersions or powders to provide a strong water and grease barrier to boards and 3D shaped textiles, meeting performance expectations in laboratory and pilot-scale evaluations.
The project also demonstrated pilot-scale production (tens of kilograms) in a standard reactor, showing that scaling up from laboratory chemical reactions to industrially relevant quantities is feasible. Testing of the coated trays showed promising performance and partial compostability under in-use conditions, but further studies are needed on recyclability, migration into food, and end-of-life residue behavior to meet future EU packaging and food contact material requirements.
Safe and sustainable by real design
A central pillar of ZeroF was applying the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach as a continuous guide throughout material design, testing and scaling. The Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology (LIST), in collaboration with partners TEMAS Solutions, IDEAconsult Universita di Bologna and LGI Sustainable Innovation, combined hazard screening and assessment, computational modeling, life cycle assessment and cost analysis to improve the safety and sustainability of ZeroF formulations and processes. This replaces approximately 20 hazardous substances, improves safety, and optimizes energy use and overall impact. While PFAS-free packaging prototypes generally perform better than PFAS-coated standards, textile prototypes reduce PFAS emissions but show mixed results in other impact areas, highlighting trade-offs for policymakers.
Bringing new materials to the EU market requires thorough documentation of safety, chemical migration, NIAS, and performance, supported by EFSA-style data for food contact materials and robust internal testing for textiles. ZeroF shows that while SSbD methodologies and digital tools can help guide the design and structuring of this process, they cannot replace real-world testing or fill gaps in polymer-specific hazard data, highlighting the need for both rigorous testing and regulatory alignment.
What consumers are thinking and how to engage them with new solutions
VTT, with support from Leitat, surveyed 1,500 citizens of Finland, France, Spain and Luxembourg about PFAS-free products. Approximately 62% had never heard of PFAS, but most indicated a strong preference for PFAS-free options once they found that daily use, performance, and price remained the same. Food packaging is a top priority, followed by textiles, with around a third already looking for alternatives. Acceptance relies on clear evidence, convenience, and cost, highlighting the role of regulation, standards, and public procurement in making PFAS-free the norm.
Collaboration as a condition for success
ZeroF’s final event in Barcelona showed that a PFAS-free future is more than just a technical challenge. The need for cross-functional collaboration was emphasized, especially when it comes to demanding applications and new standards. This project leaves two legacies for the EU. It provides a tested, PFAS-free option for packaging and upholstery textiles and demonstrates how SSbD can bridge innovation and regulation. The next steps now depend on regulators, standardizers, brands and manufacturers to make PFAS-free materials the default in Europe’s green transition.
This article will be published in an upcoming PFAS Special Focus Publication in January.
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