The plant, located in the Gendorf Chemical Park, was expected to close after 3M announced its exit from PFAS and fluoropolymer manufacturing. Instead, the business has now been sold to the Swiss company Capmont Group AG, allowing production to continue and preserving jobs.
While the Bavarian government celebrates the sale as a success for regional employment and industrial resilience, it raises important questions about Europe’s transition away from PFAS-dependent industries.
Fluoropolymers are part of the broader PFAS family of “forever chemicals.” Although some fluoropolymers are often presented as less hazardous than other PFAS, their production can involve substances of very high concern, and manufacturing facilities have been associated with significant environmental contamination worldwide.
The transfer of ownership does not alter the fundamental challenge: how can Europe protect workers and communities while accelerating the shift toward safer, more sustainable alternatives?
As discussions on PFAS restrictions continue across Europe, this development highlights the need for a just transition that supports workers without locking society into continued dependence on persistent chemicals.
Source: Bavarian State Government announcement on the sale of Dyneon and continuation of fluoropolymer production in Gendorf.
