On 23 July 2026, the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise issued a legislative memorandum announcing that Sweden will introduce a national ban on PFAS in certain consumer products . The ban is proposed to take effect on 1 January 2028.
Products Covered by the Ban
The following five categories of consumer products will not be allowed to be placed on the Swedish market for consumers if their PFAS content exceeds the specified limit values:
- Clothing and footwear
- Waterproofing agents for clothing and footwear
- Cosmetic products
- Kitchen utensils intended to come into contact with food
- Ski waxes
Proposed Limit Values
The proposed PFAS concentration limits, measured in homogeneous material, are aligned with the EU restriction proposal. If the PFAS content exceeds any of the following values, the product may not be supplied to consumers on the Swedish market:
- Individual non‑polymeric PFAS: 25 μg/kg
- Sum of all non‑polymeric PFAS: 250 μg/kg
- Sum of all PFAS: 50 mg/kg
Proposed Exemption items
- Clothing containing at least 20% recycled materialderived from end‑user waste;
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)intended to protect the user against risks listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2016/425;
- Waterproofing agents for re‑impregnationof the PPE referred to in point 2; and
- Used productsthat are suitable for continued use in their existing state or after repair.
Enforcement and Penalties
The Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen) and municipal authorities will be responsible for market surveillance. Violations of the ban will be subject to criminal liability under the Swedish Environmental Code.
As the proposal moves through the consultation (remiss) stage, stakeholders still have the opportunity to provide feedback that may influence the final text. While changes to the proposal remain possible, organizations should stay informed of further developments and consider any potential implications for their business. The national ban is intended as a temporary measure and will cease to apply once the corresponding EU-level restriction enters into force.
To read the full legislative memorandum (in Swedish) published by the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, please visit:
https://regeringen.se/contentassets/e64819d125af4487b6280a80d103182a/nationellt-forbud-mot-pfas-i-vissa-konsumentprodukter.pdf
(Reference No. KN2026/01597)
