Bam has released the Any Weather Mac, a PFAS-free waterproof coat made 95% from recycled polyester and bonded with a new Aquaveil technology that avoids multi-material laminations. The removable recycled metal zip head and single-material approach make the jacket recyclable as a whole. Bam has partnered with the Salvation Army Trading Company for U.K. take-back and recycling as regulators and brands move away from forever chemicals.
Bam’s Any Weather Mac: PFAS-Free, 95% Recycled and Fully Recyclable
Waterproof Without Forever Chemicals, Bam Launches ‘Any Weather Mac’
Bam, the U.K.-based B Corp activewear brand, has launched the Any Weather Mac — a waterproof coat engineered to avoid per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called forever chemicals. The jacket is made almost entirely from recycled polyester and uses a new in-house bonding technology called Aquaveil that delivers water repellency without PFAS treatments.
According to Bam, the garment is 95% recycled polyester, including fabrics used at seams and trims. The only non-polyester component is a removable recycled metal zip head. By keeping the jacket within a single material family rather than laminating different materials together, Bam says the Aquaveil bond is as strong as the fabric itself and allows the coat to be recycled as a whole rather than needing painstaking disassembly.
'Instead of bonding different materials together with standard chemical glues, the Any Weather Mac is made almost entirely from one material family—recycled polyester—right down to the seams and trims,' the company said in a statement.
Bam has built circularity into the product lifecycle: it has arranged a take-back and recycling scheme with the Salvation Army Trading Company, the U.K.'s largest charity-owned textile collector, to reduce the chance the coat will end up in landfill at end of life.
Why PFAS Matter
PFAS have long been used in rainwear and outdoor outerwear for durable water repellency. However, their environmental persistence and links to contamination of drinking water, soil and food have prompted regulatory scrutiny and public-health concerns worldwide. In the United States, New York and California enacted bans on PFAS in apparel last year; the European Union is considering broader restrictions; and the U.K. government published a PFAS plan earlier this year that critics say is too cautious.
Other brands have also worked for years to eliminate PFAS without losing performance. Patagonia, for example, has described a 15+-year development journey to achieve PFAS-free waterproofing that meets its standards — underscoring how technically challenging the transition can be.
Where Bam Fits In
Bam says it has pursued lower-impact materials for roughly two decades, using nature-based and recycled fabrics for more than 90% of its range. The Any Weather Mac represents what the company describes as the 'next logical step' in reducing the environmental footprint of its outerwear by combining PFAS-free performance with design for recyclability.
With growing consumer and regulatory pressure, solutions such as Aquaveil point to a broader industry shift: aiming for reliable weather protection while avoiding persistent chemicals and improving end-of-life outcomes through circular design and take-back programs.
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