3rd February 2026
Wen feels profoundly let down by the Government’s disappointing move on reducing public exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) also known as ‘Forever Chemicals’, including through action on period products. The PFAS plan released today (3 February) is not a plan at all, but a framework to make a plan. Despite acknowledging the urgent need to act now to prevent irreversible harm to human health and ecosystems, it contains few direct measures to ban or further restrict the use of PFAS, particularly in everyday consumer items and especially period products.
Instead of following the lead of progressive regulations on PFAS in period products in California and New York state, the UK government has chosen to delay over leadership and dither in the field of indecisiveness at the expense of people and the planet. The European Union is already discussing a ban of PFAS in all consumer products including its intentional use in period products.
During a meeting with the Chemicals Minister Emma Hardy last year, Wen raised serious concerns about the presence of harmful chemicals, including PFAS, across a wide range of menstrual products, from single-use tampons and pads to reusable items such as period pants. Coincidently (or not), Minister Hardy will be providing evidence at the Environmental Audit Committee tomorrow (4 February) on PFAS inquiry and we urge her to reconsider a complete ban of PFAS in period products.
We were heartened when we heard that this issue was escalated to ministerial level, and the government was considering proposed action on toxic chemicals and PFAS in period products. However despite the tenacity of Baroness Natalie Bennett, who has repeatedly pressed for stronger regulation through the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (PRAM), regulating PFAS and the safety of period products is pushed to the very last sentence in the PFAS plan, with little action other than more discussions.
PFAS, valued for their water and stain resistant properties, have been found to be very persistent in the human body, wildlife and our environment and linked to a wide range of health impacts including cancer, fertility, and impacts on foetal development. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently reviewing a restriction of PFAS in all consumer products, including period products, which it says could save the EU €110bn by 2050.
Wen has been lobbying the government departments responsible , the Department for Business and Trade and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, for many years, calling for proper regulation. Our ‘Blood, Sweat and Pesticides’ report, which found glyphosate at levels up to 40 times the legal limit for drinking water in tampons, helped put this issue in the national spotlight. Our petition, signed by over 80,000 people and delivered to Number 10 and Defra, made the public’s position on toxic chemicals in period products clear.
Given the well-evidenced impacts of PFAS on human health, including female reproductive health, it is totally unacceptable that even small amounts have been found in period products. These chemicals can bioaccumulate in the body over time. Women, girls and those who menstruate use an average of 11,000 period products over their lifetime, creating repeated and cumulative exposure. This sits alongside wider PFAS exposure from underwear, exercise clothing, cookware and many other everyday items.
Women face additional exposure through cosmetics such as mascara and lipstick, and household cleaning products. And if you work with PFAS or products containing PFAS, such as textile workers and those working with food packaging, this is also compounded by environmental contamination and social inequalities.
Our Green Baby campaign shows how women and parents are exposed to PFAS during pregnancy, and how the developing foetus can be exposed in the womb and in early life through harmful chemicals in common baby products, household items, and toys. These exposures can shape lifelong health.
Action on PFAS must be the starting point, not the end. Period products should be subject to the same level of scrutiny as cosmetics and other personal care products. It is indefensible that items used internally, next to one of the most absorbent parts of the human body, are currently regulated in the same way as general consumer goods.
Helen Lynn, Wen’s Senior Consultant and Research Fellow (Feminist Toxic Free Futures), says:
”We know PFAS are harmful to health and the environment, so why does the plan not outline immediate positive action to reduce exposure now? This announcement shows the Government is once again shying away from meaningful action on the issue of PFAS, choosing instead to let women, girls and those who menstruate be exposed to this harmful chemical in their period products.”
For interviews contact Kate Beard at Wen on 07950585284 or kate.beard@wen.org.uk.
