With the EU proposing a ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and US damages claims running in the billions, American technology group 3M (St. Paul, Minnesota; www.3m.com) said it plans to completely phase out the production and use of all fluoropolymers, fluorinated liquids, and PFAS-based additive products by 2025.

Sales of USD 1.3 bn (EUR 1.17 bn) at the company’s Dyneon PFAS division accounted for nearly 4% of group turnover last year, and the division's EBITDA margin was reported at 16%.

In addition to two sites in the US and one in Belgium, the plans also affect PFAS production in Burgkirchen, Germany: “In view of the announced exit, we currently have no plans to continue operating the Bavarian site beyond 2025," a spokeswoman told Plasteurope.com. The German operation includes the world’s only plant for the recycling of fluoropolymers. The facility, which uses an “upcycling process”, has a throughput capacity of 500 t/y.

The company said 1,000 German jobs could be affected by a shutdown, including those in subsequent production. Trade media reported that local politicians had submitted proposals to avert the imminent end of PFAS production with the help of a foundation. The likelihood of this plan being implemented is unclear.

Dyneon production capacity in Burgkirchen is 18,000 t/y of fluorine-based high-performance plastics that include fluoroelastomers, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorothermoplastics, and additives.

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Official scrutiny on PFAS has been increasing in both Europe and the US. In June 2023, 3M announced that it would pay more than USD 10 bn to US water utilities to settle various legal disputes relating to possible PFAS contamination. The agreement, which has yet to be confirmed by a court, is “not an acknowledgment of guilt,” the group said.

Many PFAS compounds are suspected of being harmful to health.