This category includes products made of virgin and recycled paper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, and molded fiber. They are used in food packaging and food service in trays, bowls, pizza boxes, etc.

Production of paper products introduces additives including fillers, biocides, coatings, and synthetic binders to cellulosic fibers [1]. Paper-based food packaging and service products often have water- and grease-resistant coatings which may contain chemicals of concern [2], including PFAS. Additionally, printing inks and dyes, phthalates, surfactants, and bleaching agents, are incorporated into many paper products and can migrate into food and beverage, and disperse into the environment through recycling, composting, or other forms of disposal [1].

Preferred paper-based and related materials will have some or all of the following characteristics:

• They are produced from bio-based feedstock or mono-material recycled content
• They are mono-materials, i.e. they are comprised of a single plastic type rather than multiple layers of materials, do not contain coatings, and are low in additives
• Products are recycled after use
• PFAS-free, compostable paper and board products can be found through the Biodegradable Products Institute.