Toxic chemicals risks that companies need to address now

The long-tail impacts of PFAS and other chemicals leave companies managing decades-long liability.

Published in Trellis By Elsa Wenzel
January 12, 2026

Key Takeaways:

• Despite federal gridlock, states, Europe, courts and investors are tightening a compliance landscape that favors early action.

• Toxic chemicals are embedded across supply chains, exposing brands and retailers to long-term legal and reputational damage.

• Transparency is now a competitive edge, and investors want proof of what’s in products and credible plans to replace risky chemicals.

As scientists better understand the harms of industrial chemicals to nature and people’s health, lawsuits multiply and policies advance, while businesses face escalating, long-tail risks to bottom lines and reputations.

“We are seeing a lot more discussion of the need for better transparency on what chemicals are in products and the need for public data on their potential harms,” said Richard Wielechowski, a senior analyst at Planet Tracker in London.

The firm warns that 350,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced fasterthan they can be controlled, potentially triggering trillions of dollars in economic losses. “Forever chemicals” and plastics increasingly pose multiplying risks for businesses using or making them.

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