THE KNOWLEDGE

You’ll see many brands explaining that the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment they use is ‘PFC-free’. DWR is an outer coating that makes water roll off the fabric, and those that include PFCs (perfluorocarbons) can be very effective at this. But PFCs are also non-biodegradable, so eco-conscious companies are trying to remove them. Doing so while maintaining the same level of performance is proving to be a real headache, but the alternatives are improving by the year and some companies are hoping to be completely PFC-free in the near future.