A New Methodology to Identify Safer and More Sustainable Disposable Food Packaging

This is the first, and ostensibly easiest, question to ask. For some materials, including plant-based “bioplastics” as well as molded fibers and pulps, a follow-up question is recommended to identify the exact source materials used. 

 For reference, the main types of materials used in disposable foodware are: 

• Plastic (petroleum- or plant-based)

• Paper or board

• Plant fiber (including sugarcane bagasse, bamboo, cellulose, and others)

• Whole-plant-based (typically wood or leaves)

Once you are familiar with the specifics, you can move forward with the assessment.

Feedstock is the raw material that goes into a final product, like a straw or plate. To assess potential sustainability of source materials, start by looking at how they are obtained or produced. 

Petroleum-based products involve a finite resource with associated carbon impacts, though some of these can be recovered through recycling. In contrast, paper products may come from certified-sustainable sources, with recycled paper rating even better -- on this scale, at least. (Chemical safety is another matter, however -- see below.)

For plant-based products, is it an agricultural waste product or a virgin material grown for this purpose? Is there significant and sustainable supply? Are there any potential ecological implications of sourcing or harvesting the material? The word “renewable” alone may not clarify much since it just means more can be grown. Considerations such as potential implications surrounding water, land, and chemical use, as well as the carbon footprint of production should also be taken into account. 

Many of these questions are difficult to answer without more study or specialized knowledge (see our References and Resources section for help). However, the value of asking these questions is to grow demand for answers and to understand the tradeoffs you may be making.  

Plant-based sourcing, of which sustainability can vary widely depending on the specifics, should be taken with a degree of skepticism, especially with regard to “greenwashing” of hidden impacts.

Disposable food service products made of these materials are often lined with a plastic barrier. All currently available plastics -- including linings made from corn-derived polylactic acid (PLA), a popular bioplastic sometimes erroneously billed as “plastic-free” — are more than likely to contain additives. These include plasticizers, stabilizers, catalysts, and other chemicals that may migrate into food or beverages. At present, there is just no way to completely avoid them — yet. 

Recycled material may sound like a good thing — and in most forms of packaging it is — but when food is involved, extra caution is warranted. This is because sourcing of recycled material for use in food-contact articles is not strictly regulated, leading to an entry point for harmful chemicals and compounds. 

For example, some black plastics used in food-contact settings, including stirrers, platters and cutlery, have been shown to contain high levels of lead, cadmium and brominated flame retardants that originate from recycled electronics.

Recycled paper and board can include newspaper, cardboard packaging and other non-food-safe sources containing inks, adhesives and coatings that are laced with chemicals like mineral oil hydrocarbons. 

This methodology has stressed the importance of testing individual products to evaluate chemical safety. This is because there can be considerable and unpredictable variations across products made from similar materials. Reliable third-party testing and certification is also rare. That being said, there are three possible sources to consider. 

The first is the US-based Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), which as of January 1, 2020, requires all products that receive its certification of compostability to also pass a total fluorine test. While the test will check for any presence of PFAS, certification can take months. Approval of newer products has also been further delayed as a result of the pandemic. Because of this, BPI’s online database does not, at present, list all PFAS-free compostables that are available. 

Another source for information on PFAS testing is the U.S.-based nonprofit Center for Environmental Health. Its online database covers hundreds of disposable food service products. 

For plastics, experts recommend testing final products for migration potential and low-dose toxicity. While no widely available and easily accessible testing certification program exists yet, U.S.-based nonprofit Clean Production Action will soon expand its popular Green Screen for Safer Chemicals program to cover all forms of disposable food service ware. Expected to launch in the first quarter of 2021, the new program will allow manufacturers and brands from around the world to submit their products and materials for review and certification of chemical safety. 

Barring these options, the next-best idea is to request third-party test results from companies, although these may be difficult to interpret by non-experts.