Friend — If you bought it from REI, your new outdoor gear might be holding a toxic secret.

Many popular outdoor brands use PFAS as a way to waterproof their products, even though PFAS chemicals are proven to harm people and pollute our communities. Products with PFAS leave a toxic trail of pollution, contaminating the drinking water around factories, and, when the product is thrown out, polluting the community around the landfill or incinerator where it ends up. Communities of color and low-wealth communities often bear the brunt of the impact because they are most likely to live near hazardous industrial or waste sites, due to structural racism and power imbalances.

Despite these impacts, REI continues to sell products with PFAS. We need to come together and tell REI that as a leader of the outdoor industry and a public voice for sustainability, it's unacceptable to sell products that contaminate our communities. REI must stop selling products that contain PFAS as soon as possible.

We're joining with our partners for a week of action to demand that REI live its values and stop selling products with PFAS. Your voice can make the difference. Will you tell REI to stop selling products with PFAS? We're looking for 5,000 LCV supporters to sign today »

PFAS chemicals are dangerous. They're linked to increased risk for certain cancers, immune system suppression, and reduced birth weight. Yet they still show up in products each day.

REI has announced a phase-out of PFAS chemicals in a handful of product categories. REI executives know they have a responsibility to address PFAS, but it's only a baby step that is nowhere near the scale that's needed to address our toxic pollution crisis.

The time is now for the outdoor industry to completely switch to safer solutions. If we can get REI to take bold action, other retailers will follow — and it will cause a huge reduction in pollution by the outdoor industry.

Earlier this year, LCV members like you joined our campaign to pressure Burger King to remove toxic PFAS from its food packaging. And thanks to you, Burger King announced plans at its shareholder meeting to remove PFAS! These corporate accountability campaigns work — but only when all of us join in.

REI is already a leader in the sustainability space, so we know that this is a fight we can win. But in order to ensure that PFAS is removed from REI's shelves, we must make noise today.

That's why we're turning up the pressure. Will you tell REI to make sure every product it sells is free of PFAS? We need 5,000 supporters like you to take action »

Your support is critical. By holding companies like REI accountable to their values, we know they can help transform the outdoor industry and remove a major source of pollution from our waterways and communities.

When we come together, we can build a cleaner, safer future for our communities. Thank you for acting today.

Thank you,

Madeleine Foote
Deputy Legislative Director
League of Conservation Voters