Hi, my name is Layla, and I’m in 8th grade. Over the past year, I’ve been learning about PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” and I was surprised to learn that they may be found in everyday products families use all the time, including some cookware.

PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in products because they can resist water, stains, grease, heat, and sticking. They are called “forever chemicals” because, unlike many other chemicals that eventually break down, PFAS break down very slowly and are extremely hard to get rid of.

That is what makes them especially dangerous.

PFAS can stay in the environment for a very long time. They can move through water, soil, food, and everyday products. Some PFAS can also build up in our bodies over time.

If kids and families are exposed again and again, those exposures can add up.

Why Cookware Matters
Cookware is something families use every day.

Parents use it to cook meals for their kids. Kids learn to cook with it. Families buy pots and pans because they are easy to use, easy to clean, or labeled as “nonstick.”

But many people do not realize that some nonstick cookware may contain PFAS or PFAS-based coatings.

That means something as normal as making breakfast, cooking dinner, or packing food for school can be connected to chemicals many families do not even know about.

Families should not have to be scientists to understand what is in the products they use to cook their food.

• PFAS exposure has been linked to serious health concerns, including:
• Immune system effects
• Hormone disruption
• Developmental concerns
• Higher cholesterol
• Reproductive health concerns
• Liver effects
• Increased risk of certain cancers
• This is not just about one pan in one kitchen.

California Had a Chance to Act
In 2025, California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 682, a bill that would have helped phase out unnecessary PFAS in several everyday products.

One part of the bill would have banned the sale of cookware with intentionally added PFAS in California starting in 2030.

But Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill.

That means California families are still relying mostly on labels and disclosures instead of a stronger rule that would keep intentionally added PFAS out of cookware sold in the state.

I understand that cookware needs to be affordable and useful for families. But protecting affordability should not mean accepting forever chemicals in products used to cook our food.

We need safer, affordable options — and companies should be encouraged to make them.

Why Labels Are Confusing
Many cookware products are advertised with words like:

Nonstick
Nontoxic
Clean
Safe
Green
Eco-friendly
PFOA-free
PTFE-free
But these words can be confusing.

A product can say “PFOA-free” and still not be completely PFAS-free, because PFOA is only one type of PFAS.

Families should not have to guess what these labels mean.

If cookware contains intentionally added PFAS, that should be clearly disclosed. If cookware is advertised as PFAS-free, companies should have to prove it.

We Are Asking Governor Newsom, California Lawmakers, Retailers, and Cookware Companies To:

• Bring back and pass SB 682 or a similar bill that bans intentionally added PFAS in cookware
• Ask Governor Newsom to sign PFAS cookware protections into law
• Require clear labels when cookware contains intentionally added PFAS
• Stop misleading claims that make cookware sound safer than it is
• Require companies to prove PFAS-free claims
• Support safer and affordable cookware options
• Encourage retailers to offer more PFAS-free cookware
• Protect families before products enter their homes

Families should not have to choose between convenience, affordability, and safety.

We should not have to wonder if the pan we use to cook our food contains forever chemicals.

This petition will also be used to help draft letters to Governor Newsom, California lawmakers, retailers, and cookware companies asking them to support PFAS-free cookware, honest labels, and stronger protections for families.

Please sign this petition to tell lawmakers and retailers:

Give families PFAS-free cookware.
Every family deserves safer products, honest labels, and a healthier future.

For more information on PFAS and what you can do to protect yourself, please visit PFASFREEPROJECT.com.