PFAS: Canada Moves Ahead with Plan to Regulate PFAS

The Canadian government is taking the next step in its plan to regulate PFAS now that the public comment period for its proposed rules closed on May 7, 2025. This confirms the government will regulate most PFAS as a single toxic class, with the first new rules expected as early as 2027.
The plan is broken down into three phases to address different product types based on their complexity:

• Phase 1: Firefighting Foams
  The first rules will target firefighting foams that contain PFAS, which have long been known as a major source of environmental contamination.
• Phase 2: Consumer Products
  The next phase will ban PFAS in everyday consumer goods. This will affect products like cosmetics, textiles, and food packaging.
• Phase 3: Industrial and Transport Uses
  The final phase will deal with more complex industrial uses in sectors like automotive, aerospace and defense, and electronics, where finding substitutes is harder. Importantly for industry, the government has said that fluoropolymers—a key type of PFAS needed for many high-performance products—are not part of this plan and will be looked at separately.

It is important to note that the current proposal excludes fluoropolymers, which will be assessed separately due to having a different hazard profile. This is a critical detail for many industrial applications, as fluoropolymers are a significant subgroup of PFAS used in almost all sectors.

While there isn't an immediate ban on PFAS, the Canadian government's long-term strategy clearly signals that industrial and transport uses will face restrictions in the future. Companies are encouraged to begin understanding their use of PFAS and exploring alternatives in preparation for upcoming regulations.