Due to their persistence and connection to serious potential health effects, the chemical compounds known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “fluorinated additives have come under increasing scrutiny from toxicologists, ecologists, and regulators over the past two decades. Among other uses, these chemicals have been added to single-use foodware products in order to impart water- and grease-resistance. Highly persistent and able to migrate out of products, they can build up in the environment and in our bodies. Scientific research suggests that PFAS are hazardous to environmental and human health, and may be connected to serious potential health effects including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disruption, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), delayed puberty, and obesity.
With the pervasiveness of disposable foodware and its seemingly instrumental role in today’s “on-the-go” lifestyle, these findings pose a serious concern. In order to equip purchasers with tools and resources to procure healthier options, The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) released a detailed guide with action steps – Avoiding Hidden Hazards: A Purchaser’s Guide to Safer Foodware.
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Consumers and large institutional purchasers alike can use their power to move the entire market toward healthier and safer products. Such pressure is instrumental, as it can be difficult for companies to make a business case for investing in research and development if customers are not pushing for change. Purchasing power has also proven to move the market much faster and farther than government regulation or legislation in numerous instances.
As outlined in CEH’s Guide, here are five steps purchasers can take to move the market toward safer and healthier foodware products:
1: Use reusable foodware products whenever possible. If reusables are not possible, purchase non-fluorinated single-use products that will be properly managed at end-of-life.
While such single-use products offer some “convenience,” they are associated with significant health and environmental costs. They also, by definition, are a non-sustainable option even if the materials are compostable or recyclable, as they result in consumption of valuable natural resources and production of large volumes of waste that need to be managed.
Reusables, on the other hand, minimize environmental and public health impact, as they help to cut emissions from packaging and production, avoid unnecessary transportation, and minimize waste that needs to be managed. Although reusables require an upfront investment, significant cost savings can be quickly accrued from avoided disposable foodware purchases and decreased waste hauling services.
Before purchasing disposable foodware, CEH therefore encourages purchasers to first ask, “Is it necessary?”
If single-use foodware cannot be avoided, CEH suggests purchasing products that are:
Certified compostable
Do not contain fluorinated additives
Are accepted by local composting facilities.
If local composting services are not available, CEH suggests reconsidering recyclables that:
Do not contain fluorinated additives or polystyrene
Are made of materials that local recycling facilities will accept.
It is important to consult independent third-party certification, as unverified marketing claims for products such as “biobased” or “made from renewable resources” provide no guarantee that the disposable foodware is compostable. The most commonly used resources that verify the compostability certification or sustainability of single-use foodware are: Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) Compostability Certification and Cedar Grove List of Accepted Products. Their standards, however, do not yet restrict the use of fluorinated compounds, although there has been significant movement in this direction.
To identify non-fluorinated, compostable products, check the CEH database, which includes:
100% Polyactic Acid (PLA) Products
PLA-Lined Paper Products
Clay-Coated Paper Products
Bamboo and Palm Leaf Products
Disposable foodware products to avoid include:
Molded fiber products
Polystyrene
Composting conditions vary widely across the country, therefore it is important to contact local facilities to determine the compostability of preferred products, even if they are BPI-certified or Cedar Grove accepted.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Evan Lorne
Composting offers numerous benefits. By increasing the fertility of soil, it reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. Composting also benefits the climate, as it stores carbon and diverts organic material from landfills, preventing the generation of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Moreover, composting prevents the incineration of food waste, which generates toxic chemical emissions and ash.
2: Send products to CEH for testing.
If a preferred product is not listed in the database, send it to CEH to be tested free of charge. Accepted products include bowls, plates, multi-compartment food trays, food boats, and clamshell (take-out) containers. Cups and utensils are not being tested, as they have not been found to contain fluorinated additives. In total, CEH has tested over 130 products representing 39 manufacturers. Fifty-seven percent of these products were found to be fluorinated.
3: Contact your suppliers.
It is important to make your suppliers aware of any concerns and preferences. This can be done with CEH’s sample letter, which aims to aid purchasers in achieving this step. A unified request for safer and healthier products from numerous customers will send a powerful message to suppliers, helping to spur innovation.
Other Product Consideration:
In addition to the compostability and non-fluorinated criteria, here are other factors to consider when purchasing environmentally preferable foodware products:
Sustainably sourced paper/wood. Some paper products contain fiber certified as sustainably sourced by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Purchasing FSC-certified foodware helps ensure that the fiber was grown in and harvested from a sustainably managed forest.
Chlorine-free bleaching. Some products are manufactured totally chlorine-free (TCF) or processed chlorine-free (PCF), meaning that no elemental chlorine or chlorinated compounds are used to process or whiten paper pulp. These manufacturing methods goes beyond the law requirement, which restricts the use of elemental chlorine gas but allows the use of chlorinated compounds in manufacturing or whitening paper pulp.
Water-based inks/glues. These inks are generally safer to produce than equivalent solvent-based products and facilitate safer end-of-life management of foodware products and packaging.
Feedstock and final product are produced in North America. Local production reduces transportation needs and associated environmental impacts.
4: Adopt existing specifications.
Both the State of New York and the City of San Francisco have model specifications for disposable foodware that can be adopted by other purchasers. The State of NY has recently updated its specifications for disposable foodware to encourage the use of reusables and establish environmental and health standards for single-use food service containers and packaging, specifically prohibiting the purchase of products containing PFAS and polystyrene. Similarly, the City and County of San Francisco recently completed a solicitation for disposable food containers that includes specification prohibiting PFAS as well as polystyrene.
5: Contact organizations that certify compostable/sustainable foodware.
Third-party verified environmental standards are crucial in helping purchasers identify safe and healthy products. In order for such certifications to have value, however, they must address all health and environmental concerns of a given product category. As mentioned above, the most commonly used certifiers of compostable foodware – BPI and Cedar Grove – do not yet prohibit PFAS in approved products. It is thus important to contact such organizations, prompting them to adopt and implement requirements for foodware to be non-fluorinated. This is another effective way to move the market towards safer options and meaningful standards.
Maryana Dumalska is an intern at Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, and a senior at Boston College studying Environmental Geoscience and Economics.
