Fashion for Good announced the launch of Project DW(O)R-X, a collaborative initiative designed to benchmark PFAS alternative durable water- and oil-repellent (DW(O)R) chemistries. Responding to growing market demand for alternatives to PFAS‑based finishes, the project aims to generate reliable, comparable data that can support informed sourcing decisions and the assessment of emerging chemistries.
Despite the momentum towards PFAS-based alternatives, several challenges remain. First, many currently available alternatives do not match the oil repellency and long-term durability of PFAS-based finishes. Second, there is currently no unified approach to assessing performance, and existing protocols do not always reflect real-world use, making meaningful comparisons between solutions difficult. Third, current benchmarks no longer reflect the capabilities of today’s PFAS alternative solutions; updated benchmarks are needed to identify leading solutions and understand performance gaps, to help inform R&D and scale-up efforts. Finally, as the industry works to identify suitable alternatives, it is essential to carefully assess their environmental and health impacts to minimise the risk of regrettable substitution, where one problematic substance is replaced by another without sufficient understanding.
To address these core challenges, Project DW(O)R-X will benchmark nine PFAS alternative solutions, ranging from early-stage innovations to established chemistries, across three dimensions: performance, environmental impact, and cost. To support this, project partners have developed a performance framework designed to better reflect real-world use by incorporating multi-condition testing and custom stains relevant to sportswear and outerwear, including soil, sunscreen, and sweat.
The project brings together an exciting group of industry stakeholders, including leading brands adidas and C&A, manufacturing partners Shahi Exports, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials and Wujiang Fuhua Fabric Co., alongside technology providers Archroma, Daikin Chemicals Europe, Dow, Dryfiber, Jintex, Lamoral Coatings, Pulcra Chemicals, Rudolf, and vandeyk.tech. Performance testing will be conducted by SGS.
