Nothing last FOREVER, except PFAS
In recent years, single use plastics have been progressively banned from Western Australia, heralding a new age of sustainability in food packaging, or so we thought.
When paper based ‘eco-packaging’ replaced many single use plastics, it felt as though food packaging had turned a corner and we could confidently offer our customers an alternative that was both better for the planet, and for human health. But, until recently, many of these ‘eco-friendly’ plastic replacements contained PFAS - which are “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)…[that] are synthetic chemicals that are used to make products resistant to heat, stains, grease, and water”(1).
The issue with these “forever” chemicals, as they’re known, is that they don’t break down - either in the environment or in the body and so they bio-accumulate over time. As well as these, PFAS are also linked to a range of health issues including “cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems:” (2).
PFAS has recently been phased out in compostable sugarcane fibre packaging, but is still found in many food service products, which are found to leach into food when hot.
Paper straws are just one of the many food packaging items that contain PFAS, a forever chemical.
PFAS is hiding in these items
We were most surprised to find that many paper straws, which replaced plastic - still contain PFAS, and there are no immediate plans to change the structure of these items to remove the chemical. Other items include:
Greaseproof baking and sandwich wrapping paper
Greaseproof takeaway containers such as pizza and chip boxes
Waterproof takeaway containers such as those replacing standard takeaway food boxes
Disposable dinnerware - plates, bowls, clamshells
We will continue to update this list to include other food service items that contain this group of forever chemicals.
(1) Australian Government, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (2025), Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), https://www.health.gov.au/topics/environmental-health/about/environmental-toxins-and-contaminants/pfas?language=en
(2) Perkins, Tom (2023), Toxic PFAS chemicals used in packaging can end up in food, study finds, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/17/pfas-forever-chemicals-food-containers-study