Question from Tricia
Hi – thanks so much for this service. I’ve been searching for eco/health friendly outdoor gear and recently came across Teflon EcoElite as a new waterproof coating. Have you heard about this or know anything about it? Seems to have won some eco/innovation awards, but who knows what that really means …
Lisa’s Answer
This is an alternative to PFC-containing products, so it is better. But, it is not clear if that means it is safe. The company does not say on their website what chemicals are used in place of the PFCs. The industry experts cited in this post says that the new PFC-free products being developed have very limited testing and do not have consistent results that shed light on their health impact. Teflon’s product is rated by GreenScreen, which is a for-profit rating organization for the textile industry. It is scored as a “good” alternative with a 3 out 4 rating, with 1 being the most hazardous and 4 being the least. The rating doesn’t really tell you much, other than it is better than PFC-containing products which would be rated a 1.
