To: Eric Artz, President & CEO
REI Co-Op
1700 45th St E
Sumner, WA 98352
Date: December 8, 2021
Re: Give your customers the gift of a PFAS-free future this holiday season
Dear Mr. Artz:
REI has long been known for being a popular retail and outdoor recreation services business that stands by its top-quality gear, stewardship of the outdoors, and sustainability of its business. With a long history of putting people and the planet over profits, especially with its #optoutside campaign, we admire REI for its strong values and passion for the outdoor environment.
That’s exactly why we believe REI should lead the outdoor apparel industry in a bold transition away from the entire class of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” This holiday season we are asking you to give your customers the gift of a PFAS-free future.
We are very concerned REI is allowing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals, which are harmful to public health and the environment, to be used in products sold in its stores, such as jackets and hiking pants. As one of the largest retailers in the outdoor industry and a business renowned for its commitment to sustainability, REI has a responsibility to lead a bold and aggressive phase-out of all PFAS in all of the products it sells.
Hikers vow to “leave no trace.” But toxic PFAS chemicals are being used in products sold at REI for waterproofing and stain resistance, and they come at a very heavy cost, leaving a trail of toxic pollution in our bodies, breast milk, food, air, and drinking water. And they can last forever in the environment for generations to come.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancer, a weaker immune system, and liver and kidney toxicity. Communities located near PFAS manufacturing facilities such as Parkersburg, WV, Fayetteville, NC, and Decatur, AL, are especially at risk and vulnerable to these dangerous and toxic exposures. The toxic trail of PFAS pollution impacts people, fish, and wildlife, including salmon, orcas, and dolphins, as well as some of the most precious places on the planet such as the Arctic.
REI’s announcement of a phase-out of PFAS chemicals in a handful of product categories is only a small step that is nowhere near the scale that’s needed to address the PFAS pollution crisis. Recent studies show breast milk is contaminated by toxic PFAS pollution, and detections of current-use PFAS in breast milk are doubling every 4 years. These are the very same chemicals used to make outdoor gear sold at REI.
REI has a climate commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and offset emissions for its brand and operations starting in 2020. There is no mention of reducing toxic chemicals, such as PFAS, in its supply chain as part of its climate plan. However, in some cases, the potent greenhouse gas pollutant HCFC-22 is used to make PFAS and is emitted from manufacturing plants that make PFAS for textiles. For example, Daikin America, known to produce PFAS for textile and other uses, reported releasing a total of 240,584 pounds of HCFC-22 from its Decatur, Alabama, facilities in 2019 – the greenhouse gas equivalent of more than one billion pounds of carbon dioxide.
More and more states are stepping up to regulate PFAS. In REI’s corporate headquarters state, the new Safer Products for Washington law gives the state agency the authority to ban PFAS in products. The law was adopted to protect sensitive populations such as babies as well as sensitive species such as salmon and orca whales where toxic chemicals build up. Apparel and outdoor gear have already been identified as sources of PFAS, and regulations are not far behind. Other states including California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maine, and New York are targeting products for PFAS bans as well. It is prudent for REI to get out in front of these regulations and phase PFAS out on an aggressive timeline.
We recommend REI take the following steps to prevent PFAS pollution from products sold in its stores:
- Policy: Adopt and publish a bold policy to phase out and ban the entire PFAS class in all brand-name and private-label products REI sells, especially outdoor apparel. This policy should have senior management-level engagement and accountability for suppliers (e.g., third-party testing and disclosure) and measure and publicly report on continuous improvement toward reducing, eliminating, and safely substituting PFAS.
- Goals and metrics: Set clear, ambitious public goals with timelines and quantifiable metrics to measure success in eliminating PFAS in all products and packaging.
- Avoid regrettable substitution: Invest in assessing the safety of alternatives to PFAS using tools like GreenScreen, ChemFORWARD, and Scivera to ensure informed substitution so that suppliers do not move to other harmful replacement chemicals.
- Transparency: Embrace “radical transparency” to meet rising consumer demand for the full public disclosure of alternatives used to replace PFAS. Your members have a fundamental right to know.
- Stay ahead of and support government regulation: REI should also support state and federal policy reform to advance solutions to PFAS.
When REI members and customers buy presents for their friends and family from REI this holiday season, they expect the products to be safe, not laden with chemicals that are leaving a toxic trail of pollution around the world. This holiday season, we urge you to give the gift of a PFAS-free future for your members, and “opt out” of PFAS.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mike Schade, Director, Mind the Store, Newburgh, NY
Laurie Valeriano, Executive Director, Toxic-Free Future, Seattle, WA
Liz Hitchcock, Director, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, Washington, DC
Sarah Doll, Director, Safer States, Portland, OR
Anna Cummins, Executive Director, 5 Gyres, Los Angeles, CA
Louis Allen, MD, MPH, Facilitator, Able-Differently, Salt Lake City, UT
Wes Reutimann, Special Programs Director, ActiveSGV, San Gabriel Valley, CA
Veri di Suvero, Executive Director, AKPIRG, Anchorage, AK
Pamela Miller, Executive Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Anchorage, AK
Katie Huffling, Executive Director, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Mount Rainier, MD
Cheryl Auger, President, Ban SUP, Pasadena, CA
Karen Wang, Director, Because Health, San Francisco, CA
Eve Fox, Digital Director, Beyond Plastics, Bennington, VT
Krystal Redman, Executive Director, Breast Cancer Action, San Francisco, CA
Robina Suwol, Executive Director, California Safe Schools, Los Angeles, CA
Jenn Engstrom, State Director, CALPIRG, Sacramento, CA
Kelley Dennings, Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity, Tucson, AZ
Kathryn Alcantar, Interim Policy Director, Center for Environmental Health, Oakland, CA
Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director, Center for Food Safety, Washington, DC
Bobbi Wilding, Executive Director, Clean and Healthy New York, Albany, NY
Emily Donovan, Co-Founder, Clean Cape Fear, Wilmington, NC
Cynthia Luppi, New England Director, Clean Water Action, Boston, MA
Sylvia Broude, Executive Director, Community Action Works, Boston, MA
Brenda Hampton, Administrator, Concerned Citizens of WMEL Water Authority, Courtland, AL
Tom Swan, Executive Director, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Coventry, CT
Meg Bohne, Associate Director, Campaigns, Consumer Reports, Yonkers, NY
Danny Katz, Executive Director, CoPIRG, Denver, CO
Sarah Woodbury, Director of Advocacy, Defend Our Health, Portland, ME
Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Bristol, PA
Jan Dietrick, Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology, Ventura, CA
Christine Santillana, Legislative Counsel, Earthjustice, Washington, DC
Jessica Zimmerle, Program & Outreach Director, Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light, Seattle, WA
Erica Bloom, Toxics Campaign Director, Ecology Center, Ann Arbor, MI
John Rumpler, Clean Water Program Senior Director, Environment America, Boston, MA
Laura Deehan, State Director, Environment California, Los Angeles, CA
Rex Wilmouth, Senior Program Director, Environment Colorado, Denver, CO
Chris Phelps, State Director, Environment Connecticut, West Hartford, CT
Jennette Gayer, State Director, Environment Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Anya Fetcher, State Director, Environment Maine, Portland, ME
Ben Hellerstein, State Director, Environment Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Bridget Sanderson, State Director, Environment Missouri, Kansas City, MO
Doug O'Malley, State Director, Environment New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Krista Early, Advocate, Environment North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
Celeste Meiffren-Swango, State Director, Environment Oregon, Portland, OR
Luke Metzger, Executive Director, Environment Texas, Austin, TX
Elly Boehmer, State Director, Environment Virginia, Richmond, VA
Pam Clough, Advocate, Environment Washington, Seattle, WA
Shannon Smith, Interim Executive Director, FracTracker Alliance, Pittsburgh, PA
Leatra Harper, Managing Director, FreshWater Accountability Project, Bowling Green, OH
Lisa Archer, Director, Food and Agriculture Program, Friends of the Earth, Washington, DC
Erica Bloom, Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, Ann Arbor, MI
Todd Larsen, Executive Co-Director for Consumer & Corporate Engagement, Green America, Washington, DC
Lisa Ramsden, Senior Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace USA, Washington, DC
Yolanda B. Alston, Organizer, Harambee House Inc., Savannah, GA
Deanna White, Director, Healthy Legacy Coalition, Minneapolis, MN
Abe Scarr, State Director, Illinois PIRG, Chicago, IL
Kelly Jackson, Co-founder, Indivisible Alta-Pasadena, Altadena, CA
Melissa Jung, Program and Outreach Manager, Inland Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Tiffany Tool, IPEN Network Manager, IPEN, Berkeley, CA
Jose Bravo, Executive Director, Just Transition Alliance, San Diego, CA
Jan Dell, Independent Engineer, The Last Beach Cleanup, Laguna Beach, CA
Jackie Nuñez, Founder, The Last Plastic Straw, Santa Cruz, CA
Michele Colopy, Executive Director, LEAD for Pollinators Inc., Akron, OH
Madeleine Foote, Deputy Legislative Director, League of Conservation Voters, Washington, DC
Tamara Massey Garrett, State President, Learning Disabilities Association of Alabama, Montgomery, AL
Tracy Gregoire, Healthy Children Project Director, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Pittsburg, PA
Gregg French, President, Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut, Fairfield, CT
Carolyn P. Kingsley, Learning Disabilities Association of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Beverley H. Johns, President, Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois, Palos Hills, IL
Betty Riggin, President, Learning Disabilities Association of Maine, Westbrook, ME
Amy Barto, M.Ed., President, Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI
Kathryn Cappella, Secretary/Treasurer, Learning Disabilities Association of New York State, Rochester, NY
Dr. Analisa L. Smith, President, Learning Disabilities Association of South Carolina, Irmo, SC
Pamela Smith, RN, HCP Coordinator, Learning Disabilities Association of Texas, Dallas, TX
Gaylia Tanner, Healthy Children Project Coordinator, Learning Disabilities Association of Utah, Sandy, UT
Mitch Beres, President, Learning Disabilities Association of Virginia, Henrico, VA
Diane Sixel, President, Learning Disabilities Association of Wisconsin, Kiel, WI
Dave Shukla, Operations, Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy, Long Beach, CA
Emily Scarr, State Director, Maryland PIRG, Baltimore, MD
Janet Domenitz, Executive Director, MASSPIRG, Boston, MA
Laurene Allen, Director, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, Merrimack, NH
Johanna Rochester, CSO, Million Marker, Bellingham, WA
Molly Rauch, Public Health Policy Director, Moms Clean Air Force, Washington, DC
Kathleen Curtis, Founder, Moms for a Nontoxic New York, Schenectady, NY
Sujatha Bergen, Health Campaigns Director, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Washington, DC
Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director, National Stewardship Action Council, Sacramento, CA
Tiffany Gladney, NC Child, Raleigh, NC
Kate Fulbright, Affiliate Organizer, NC Conservation Network, Raleigh, NC
Katie Craig, State Director, NCPIRG, Raleigh, NC
Jamie Pang, Environmental Health Program Director, Oregon Environmental Council, Portland, OR
Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director, Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN
Charlie Fisher, State Director, OSPIRG, Portland, OR
Pulin Modi, Director of Campaigns, ParentsTogether, Washington, DC
Stiv Wilson, CoDirector, Peak Plastic Foundation, Olympia, WA
David Masur, Executive Director, PennEnvironment, Philadelphia, PA
Emma Horst-Martz, Advocate, PennPIRG, Philadelphia, PA
Stephanie Weiner, Board Member, Plastic Free Delaware, Wilmington, DE
Alyssa Barton, Policy Manager, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Seattle, WA
Eleanor Hines, North Sound Baykeeper, Lead Scientist, RE Sources, Bellingham, WA
Diane Wilson, Executive Director, San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, Seadrift, TX
Ronni Solman, Steering Committee Member, SoCal 350 Climate Action, Los Angeles, CA
Betty Riggin, Sophia’s House, Lewiston, ME
Jean Zhuang, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Sam Pearse, Campaigns Manager, The Story of Stuff Project, Berkeley, CA
Robin Schneider, Executive Director, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Austin, TX
Connor Kippe, Policy Advocate, Toxic Free NC, Durham, NC
Joanie Steinhaus, Gulf Program Director, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Galveston, TX
Chris Peck, Owner, Urban Ecology, Pasadena, CA
Emily Rogers, Zero Out Toxics Advocate, U.S. PIRG, Washington, DC
Lauren Hierl, Executive Director, Vermont Conservation Voters, Montpelier, VT
Jon Groveman, Policy and Water Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Montpelier, VT
Mindy Roberts, Puget Sound Program Director, Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters, Seattle, WA
Nicole Walter, Advocate, WashPIRG, Seattle, WA
Greg Wingard, Executive Director, Waste Action Project, Covington, WA
Robin Broder, Deputy Director, Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Takoma Park, MD
Megan Severson, State Director, Wisconsin Environment, Madison, WI
Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director, Women for a Healthy Environment, Pittsburgh, PA
Jamie McConnell, Deputy Director, Women's Voices for the Earth, Missoula, MT