Fast-Food Wrappers (PFAS)

Grease-resistant wrappers, bags and boxes for hot food.

38High burden · out of 100

Cleaner swapUnwrap greasy food promptly, or cook the same meals at home

How this score is built

100Start
72.4Chemical hazard 6 × 4.6−27.6
58.8Everyday exposure 4 × 3.4−13.6
38Persistence 8 × 2.6−20.8
HighThe band38 sits in 20–39.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	6/10	unsourced input
Everyday exposure	4/10	Of about 400 US fast-food packaging samples, 46% of food-contact papers and 20% of paperboard samples had detectable fluorine. Fluorinated Compounds in U.S. Fast Food Packaging · Environ Sci Technol Lett 2017 DOI 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00435 · PMID 30148183 · Abstract · read 2026-10-02
Persistence	8/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

The chemical-hazard rating is what drives the score down. Grease-proof food packaging has often been treated with PFAS, which can migrate into hot, oily food. Getting the food out of the wrapper quickly limits the contact time.

Evidence strength: strong

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