Global flooring provider Shaw Industries has developed a new testing methodology to detect PFAS, a group of chemicals used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. The innovation is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to ensure its manufacturing processes are free from these substances.
Shaw stopped using PFAS-based materials to repel soil and stains in all U.S. carpet manufacturing operations by January 2019. The company also required its third-party suppliers to provide materials that did not contain PFAS. Despite these measures, Shaw discovered through ongoing due diligence that additional testing was needed, as suppliers often were unaware that PFAS were present in the materials they provided.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of nearly 15,000 chemicals that have been used since the 1940s. They can be found in hundreds of everyday products, including soap, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, cosmetics, dental floss, contact lenses, and even toilet paper, largely for heat, soil, or stain resistance.
Since filing for a patent in December 2024, Shaw has used its new testing methodology to identify PFAS in numerous materials intended for its manufacturing processes—materials that previous testing had indicated were free of the substances.
Shaw says the methodology represents a significant step forward in preventing PFAS from entering its products and ensuring safer manufacturing practices.
