About the Fluoropolymers Product Group
Who is FPG, and what do we do?
The Fluoropolymers Product Group represents Europe’s leading fluoropolymer producers. As part of Plastics Europe, we act as the collective voice of the industry across Europe, engaging with EU institutions, regulators, and stakeholders on matters relating to fluoropolymers.
What is our mission?
Our mission is to promote innovation, safe use, sustainable manufacturing and stewardship across the industry. We advocate for a balanced regulatory environment based on scientific facts, ensuring European industries remain competitive and sustainable. Central to this is ensuring fluoropolymers are assessed based on their unique properties, not by association with other PFAS substances.
Who are the members of FPG?
The Fluoropolymers Product Group is part of Plastics Europe, the professional body representing European polymer producers.
Its members include:
Understanding Fluoropolymers
Are fluoropolymers “forever chemicals”?
Fluoropolymers are highly stable materials, which means they do not break down easily. This stability is also what makes them reliable in demanding applications. However, persistence alone does not determine risk. Fluoropolymers do not readily move through the environment, are not considered bioaccumulative and are not known to cause the toxicological effects associated with small-molecule PFAS of concern. They should therefore be assessed based on their own properties, uses and lifecycle.
How are fluoropolymers different from other PFAS?
Fluoropolymers are large, stable polymer materials. This makes them behave differently from small-molecule PFAS of concern. They do not dissolve in water, do not readily move through the environment and are not considered bioaccumulative. Under normal environmental conditions, they also do not break down into other PFAS compounds. These characteristics mean fluoropolymers should be assessed separately, based on their own properties, uses and lifecycle.
What exactly are fluoropolymers?
Fluoropolymers are advanced materials known for their extreme durability, chemical inertness, and non-stick properties. Unlike other polymers, they remain stable under high temperatures and harsh environmental conditions, making them critical for a variety of sectors and high-tech industries.
What makes fluoropolymers unique?
Fluoropolymers combine durability, chemical resistance, thermal stability, purity and non-stick performance in one material. This rare combination allows them to perform safely and reliably in conditions where many other materials would fail. It also makes them difficult to replace in critical applications such as medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, transport and advanced industrial equipment.
Are fluoropolymers considered PFAS?
Fluoropolymers fall within the broad PFAS category because of their chemical structure. However, PFAS covers a very large and diverse group of substances with different properties, behaviours and risk profiles. Fluoropolymers are large, stable polymer materials and behave differently from small-molecule PFAS of concern such as PFOA and PFOS. They should therefore be assessed on their own properties, uses and lifecycle.
Fluoropolymers Manufacturing
What is FPG’s Manufacturing Programme?
FPG’s Manufacturing Programme is a voluntary industry initiative designed to reduce emissions from fluoropolymer production and promote responsible manufacturing. It is built around three pillars: emissions reduction, technology exchange and safe handling. At the end of 2024, all six participating companies met the programme’s first emissions targets.
Do fluoropolymers pose environmental risks?
Environmental risks are mainly linked to emissions that may occur during manufacturing or processing if not properly controlled. FPG members apply existing environmental regulations and work to further reduce emissions using best available techniques. Finished fluoropolymer materials are stable, insoluble in water and do not readily break down under normal environmental conditions.
Are fluoropolymers hazardous to handle?
Fluoropolymer resins are inert and non-hazardous under normal storage and handling conditions at room temperature. As with many industrial materials, specific precautions are needed when they are processed at high temperatures. FPG’s Safe Handling Guide explains these precautions in detail.
What is FPG’s Safe Handling Guide?
FPG’s Safe Handling Guide provides practical guidance for the safe handling, processing and management of fluoropolymer materials. It is designed primarily for use in Europe, but its technical recommendations are relevant globally. Part 1, published in September 2025, covers fluoropolymer resins. Part 2, planned for 2026, will cover fluoroelastomers and other speciality fluoropolymer substances.
Fluoropolymers: socio-economic benefits
Do alternatives exist for fluoropolymers?
In many applications fluoropolymers cannot be replaced without affecting performance, safety, or feasibility. Where possible alternatives exist, substitution may require long testing, qualification, and approval timelines. A recent study by Ramboll, commissioned by FPG, has further demonstrated the lack of suitable alternatives for fuel systems in the transport sector and for ultra-pure water piping for semiconductor manufacturing. Find out more about the study here.
How do fluoropolymers contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy?
Europe’s strategic autonomy depends on reliable access to the materials needed for critical technologies. Fluoropolymers play an important role in sectors such as semiconductors, clean energy, transport and advanced manufacturing. They provide the purity, chemical resistance and durability required for applications such as chip production, hydrogen fuel cells, solar technologies and battery systems. Restricting access to fluoropolymers would make Europe more dependent on external supply chains for the technologies it needs most.
Where are fluoropolymers used?
Fluoropolymers are used in sectors where materials must perform safely and reliably under demanding conditions. Key applications include aerospace, automotive, medical technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy and water treatment. Their durability, chemical resistance and thermal stability make them the preferred choice where performance failure is not an option. More information on specific applications is available in the Fluoropolymers Lifecycle section.
Why are fluoropolymers important for Europe’s society and economy?
Fluoropolymers support some of Europe’s most strategic value chains, including semiconductors, electric vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, medical technologies and advanced manufacturing. Restricting access to these materials would affect not only producers, but also the industries that rely on them for safety, durability and performance. At a time when Europe is strengthening its industrial base and accelerating the green and digital transitions, secure access to fluoropolymers remains important for competitiveness and resilience.
How do fluoropolymers support innovation?
Many technologies central to Europe’s future depend on fluoropolymers. They are used in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, high-speed communications, next-generation batteries, hydrogen technologies and precision medical devices. In these applications, fluoropolymers provide the purity, durability, chemical resistance and reliability needed to develop and scale innovative products.
Fluoropolymers: End of Life
How do fluoropolymers support sustainability?
Fluoropolymers contribute to sustainability in two distinct ways. First, they enable the technologies that Europe’s clean energy transition depends on, including hydrogen production, solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries. Second, their exceptional durability means that products made with fluoropolymers last longer, need replacing less often, and generate less waste over their lifetime. Sustainability is not achieved by restricting these materials; it is undermined by doing so.
Can fluoropolymers be recycled?
Yes. PTFE and melt-processable fluoropolymers can be recycled through mechanical, thermal, or chemical methods. Commercial recycling is already a reality for certain applications, and FPG is actively researching where this can be expanded further.
How do fluoropolymers support the transition to a circular economy?
As they are highly durable, fluoropolymers play an important role in extending the lifespan of a range of products up to three to ten times. Fluoropolymer coatings provide resistance to fire, water, weather, and even corrosive chemicals, ensuring goods can stay in service for longer. They reduce waste as well as energy consumption, specifically within the architecture and transport sectors.
What happens to fluoropolymers at end of life?
Fluoropolymers represent less than 0.01% of total EU waste by mass and are usually embedded in complex products rather than collected as a separate waste stream. At end of life, they are managed through existing waste treatment systems, mainly as part of the products in which they are used. Regulated incineration and waste-to-energy routes can effectively manage fluoropolymer-containing waste, while landfill plays a smaller and declining role. Recycling is technically possible for some fluoropolymers, but remains limited today because volumes are low, products are complex and secondary markets are not yet developed at scale.
Their durability also helps prevent waste upstream. In many high-performance applications, fluoropolymers can extend component lifetimes by three to ten times, reducing replacement needs, maintenance and waste over time.
Regulatory and Policy Context
What is the PFAS REACH Restriction?
On 13 January 2023, the Competent Authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted a REACH restriction proposal targeting all PFAS, including fluoropolymers. The proposal does not differentiate between fluoropolymers and other PFAS, despite their distinct properties. If adopted as drafted, it could lead to a near-total ban on fluoropolymers across industries.
What is FPG's position on the REACH Restriction?
FPG advocates for a balanced, science-based approach that recognises the unique safety and sustainability profile of fluoropolymers. We actively participate in ECHA’s consultation process, submitting alternative analyses and waste management studies, scientific assessments and socio-economic analyses, and risk management and safe handling guidelines. We call for a full exemption for fluoropolymers manufacture and use in order to prevent disproportionate impacts on EU industry.
Are you collaborating with other associations?
Yes, FPG actively collaborates with downstream users and other trade associations as part of its broader strategy to promote safe and sustainable use of fluoropolymers.
What comes next on the regulatory process?
The restriction process is ongoing, with public consultation responses under review. The European Commission has committed to open dialogue, and FPG remains engaged to ensure a proportionate regulatory outcome that safeguards innovation, sustainability, and industry needs. For ECHA updates, please consult echa.europa.eu