Education
Moving Towards a Sustainable Future – Fire Fighting Foam
Published on 03 Oct 2025
For decades, firefighting foam has been one of the most trusted tools in high-risk fire protection. From oil refineries to airports and marine vessels, Foams such as the Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) has long been the go-to agent for tackling Class B fires. Its effectiveness, however, came with an unseen cost until now.
Today, the industry is facing a major shift. Around the world, fire protection professionals are moving away from foam concentrates containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and perfluoro octane sulfonate (PFOS), base on multiple researches, data has shown that these chemicals are in fact harmful towards the environment. These compounds, once praised for their heat resistance and stability, are in fact “forever chemicals” that accumulate in soil, water, and living organisms. The global fire protection community is re-engineering foam systems to remove them entirely and move toward safer, more sustainable alternatives.
What Fire Protection Companies Are Doing
In response, regulators, manufacturers, and fire safety organisations worldwide are leading coordinated efforts to eliminate these “forever chemicals” from firefighting products. In Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has announced that by 1 January 2026, all firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention will be phased out. Similarly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is introducing new amendments to the SOLAS Convention, which will prohibit the use of PFOS-containing extinguishing agents on vessels on the same year.
What This Means for Facility and Vessel Operators
For facilities and vessels still relying on PFAS-based foams, now is the time to act. Waiting until the ban takes effect could lead to costly retrofits, delays in product sourcing, or non-compliance penalties.
Here’s what operators should consider:
- Conduct an inventory of all foam systems and storage tanks to determine if they contain PFAS-based products.
- Plan for replacement with fluorine-free foam verified to equivalent performance standards
- Ensure compatibility between new foam concentrates and existing proportioning or discharge systems, conversion may require recalibration or system redesign.
- Engage qualified service partners who can manage removal, flushing, and safe disposal of old foam in accordance with local environmental regulations.
Taking these steps not only future-proofs your facility but also contributes to broader sustainability goals and environmental responsibility.
How Asiatic Fire System Can Help
At Asiatic Fire System, we are fully aligned with Singapore’s sustainability direction and the global movement to phase out PFAS and PFOS-based foams. In line with the upcoming global regulations, we have taken proactive steps to ensure that all foam products supplied by Asiatic are free from intentionally added PFOS and compliant with the Stockholm Convention and IMO guidelines.
Our services extend beyond supply, we offer consultation and assessment of existing foam systems, safe and certified disposal of legacy foams, and supply of compliant foams.
With over six decades of fire protection experience, we are proud to stand at the forefront of sustainable change in the industry, helping our partners transition confidently toward safer, greener fire protection systems.
If your facility is preparing for the 2026 phase-out, contact our team to see how we can support you.
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