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FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany, July 12 (Reuters) - Makers ofoutdoor clothing are bowing to pressure to get rid of many ofthe chemicals in their kit that help keep hikers and climberswarm and dry but are also harmful to the environment.
Previously a niche part of the sporting goods market, theoutdoor segment has expanded so rapidly over the past decadethat it now accounts for about 20 percent of the globalsportwear market.
With increased sales comes increased scrutiny about the useof substances like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is usedto make clothing stain and water-resistant - a big selling pointfor makers of outdoor clothing.
PFOA is a persistent pollutant, which means that it does notbreak down when it is released into the environment.
"As we've become bigger, it's only right that our industryis questioned," Mark Held from the European Outdoor Group saidon the sidelines of the Outdoor trade fair in Friedrichshafen.
"A lot of these companies started out as just one person,they're very entrepreneurial, but now they realise they can'tcontinue with the same practices."
Clothing retailers like H&M and Marks & Spencer have already agreed to make their clothing PFC-free.
But many outdoor industry brands have said there arecurrently no PFC-free technologies that would continue toprovide the same lasting level of weather protection, meaningmore environmentally-friendly products are less effective.
Family-owned Schoeffel, exhibiting at the fair, said it wasworking towards becoming PFC-free. Like brands such as Patagoniaand Marmot, Schoeffel has cut back on some chemicals and isswitching to compounds that have a six-carbon, rather than aneight-carbon chain, meaning they degrade more quickly.
This means its new jackets and trousers - coming out nextsummer - will need to be treated for water and oil resistanceafter around 10-15 washes, compared with around 20 before.
"We have sacrificed functionality in order to be moreenvironmentally-friendly," CEO and owner Peter Schoeffel said.
Swedish brand Hagloefs, part of Asics, also said atthe fair that it had decided to stop antibacterial treatment ofits products, replacing the silver salt solution with anon-toxic mineral-based treatment.
The European Outdoor Conservation Association, which raisesfunds from outdoor business to put directly into conservationprojects, said it had signed up 19 new members this yearalready, an almost 30 percent increase on last year.
