Imagine There's No PFAS: Responding to Disruption in the Tensile Membrane Industry

Abstract

The tensile membrane industry, like many others, should strive to be sustainable; “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This guiding principle, combined with the changing world in which we live, requires the industry to make challenging decisions and to remain agile in responding to disruptive events.

One such disruption is the proposal published in 2023 by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to extend restrictions of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the European Union (EU) and which has stimulated discussion within the tensile membrane industry. The proposed measures are widely perceived not only as a regulatory challenge but as a potential existential threat, impacting materials currently in widespread use and central to the sector's practice. While the scope and timing of implementation remain uncertain, early assessment of potential impacts, and of the strategies needed to mitigate them, will clearly benefit from prompt consideration.

This paper examines how the proposed PFAS restrictions may affect various stakeholders across the tensile membrane value chain, highlighting materials and processes which could be at risk, exploring potential solutions in response, and identifying the barriers which need to be overcome to enable adoption. In doing so, the paper seeks to encourage proactive, informed dialogue and thought leadership within the industry; reconsidering what and how we design, the materials we rely on, and the alternative approaches required to ensure a sustainable and resilient future.