On July 23, 2026, Sweden's Ministry of Climate and Enterprise published a legislative memorandum announcing that a national-level ban on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) will take effect on January 1, 2027—prohibiting consumer products containing these "forever chemicals" from being placed on the market ahead of comprehensive EU-wide regulations. This makes Sweden another EU member state, following Denmark and France, to take strong national action against PFAS.
1. Scope of the Ban
According to the memorandum, the new regulation will prohibit the supply of PFAS-containing goods to Swedish consumers across five major categories:
- Clothing and footwear
- Water-repellent treatments for clothing and footwear
- Cosmetics
- Kitchenware (food-contact parts only, such as non-stick cookware coatings)
- Ski waxes
2. Limit Values (Aligned with EU Proposals)
PFAS concentrations, calculated per homogeneous material, must not exceed:
- Individual non-polymeric PFAS: 25 μg/kg
- Sum of all non-polymeric PFAS: 250 μg/kg
- Sum of all PFAS: 50 mg/kg
3. Exemptions
The ban does not apply to:
- Second-hand products (to promote reuse)
- Clothing containing ≥20% recycled material (from post-consumer waste)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) and water-repellent treatments used for re-impregnating such equipment
4. Enforcement and Penalties
- Regulatory Authorities: The Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen) and municipal governments are responsible for market surveillance.
- Penalties: Violations of the ban will be subject to criminal liability under the provisions of the Environmental Code concerning the management of hazardous chemicals.
