Government urged to take action in wake of PFAS report calling for phasing out of ‘forever chemicals’

The EAC’s report, released today 23 April 2026, calls for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to be phased out in cooking equipment and school uniforms. Leigh Day lawyers say it is important that these recommendations are acted upon urgently.

PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ due to how long they take to break down in the environment, and can be found in many everyday items including food packaging and textiles. Some substances within the family of chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens.  

In its report addressing the risks from PFAS, MPs from the EAC call on the government to take a “combined approach”, preventing PFAS emissions at source as well as managing pollution and addressing waste.  

The report also argues that the government “must hold polluters to account for the release of PFAS into the environment”, enforcing paying for clean-up and deterring them from future emissions. 

Speaking about the report’s findings, EAC chair Toby Perkins MP said: 

“From frying pans to fire extinguishers, PFAS are now central to every day and some lifesaving products, and nearly all of us will have some level of PFAS in our bodies. But evidence we heard throughout our inquiry suggests that our dependence on PFAS has come with a cost to the environment, and perhaps to human health too. 

“The government has already published a PFAS Action Plan, an important step that the Committee welcomes. But it does not go far enough. It appears to be a plan to eventually have a plan, rather than a concrete set of commitments to reduce and remediate PFAS. 

“Our report calls for the Government to phase out PFAS uses that are clearly non-essential, such as in kitchen equipment and school uniforms, and to take a precautionary approach to approving new PFAS. Rather than waiting for proof that a chemical is harmful before banning it, companies should need approval before they introduce a new PFAS substance.” 

Responding to the EAC’s report, lawyers from Leigh Day, who are investigating PFAS pollution on behalf of residents in Thornton Cleveleys and Bentham, have welcomed its recommendations but call on the government to action them.  

They highlight recommendations that the government should consult on the creation of a PFAS remediation fund through an emissions levy on PFAS manufacturers as a key step forward. 

They warn that this and other recommendations must be taken on by the government to avoid the UK’s chemical regulations (UK REACH) lagging further behind Europe’s, which they argue poses a risk not only to people’s health and the environment, but also to trading relationships with the EU.  

Leigh Day partner Sarah Moore, who leads the firm's PFAS investigations, said: 

"The Environmental Audit Committee’s PFAS report sends a clear message to the government and industry that it is time to take decisive action in relation to PFAS. It is a call to shift from monitoring-mode to prevention and clean-up mode. From our work investigating PFAS pollution in Bentham and Thornton Cleveleys, we know first-hand how communities are impacted. The recommendations from the report have the potential to be a game-changer for improving how the UK deals with these chemicals, and stop its regulations becoming adrift from the rest of Europe. We urge the government to act on these findings, and ensure that the report's recommendations do not remain just that."