30/ 100
F

PFAS score

BarConic Eco-Friendly Paper Straws

Packaging Service Co. · Paper Straws

BarConic Eco-Friendly Paper Straws

F · High PFAS

Skip unless the brand discloses coating composition, paper straws often use PFAS-based water barriers.

Paper straws marketed as "eco-friendly" frequently receive fluorocarbon-based water-resistant coatings (grease barriers) to prevent sogginess. BarConic/Packaging Service Co. provides no public disclosure of their coating chemistry or PFAS content.

The safe swap

World Centric Compostable Straws

World Centric

World Centric Compostable Straws

100/100 safety

A

Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.

Material

Paper with unspecified coating (likely water/grease barrier)

Brand disclosure

Brand is silent on PFAS

Lab data

No public lab test

Why this grade

Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment

water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.

Hurts the grade

Category baseline

food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.

Hurts the grade

Vague safety claims only

Uses vague language ("eco-friendly", "clean") without a specific PFAS statement.

Hurts the grade

What we don’t know

This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 42% confidence. It is not a lab result.

No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.

The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.

Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.

Safer alternatives in Paper Straws

World Centric Compostable Straws

World Centric

Compostable Straws

Plant-based cellulose (PHA/PLA blend), compostable

A
B
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS3 flags

Lower-concern choice; compostable material + explicit PFAS-free claim + third-party certifications reduce risk substantially.

BPI Certified CompostableCarbon TrustMade Safe (PFAS-free certified)

Verified PFAS-free by a third party

Vegware Compostable Standard Straws (6500ct)

Vegware

Compostable Standard Straws (6500ct)

Polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic

A
A
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS2 flags

Lower concern; compostable PLA straws with credible third-party compostability certs and explicit PFAS-free positioning.

OK compost CERTIFICATION (EN 13432)Seedling mark (European compostability)Carbon Neutral Certified

Verified PFAS-free by a third party

Green stripe Jumbo Vegware wrapped PLA

Vegware

Green stripe Jumbo Vegware wrapped PLA

PLA (polylactic acid) compostable plastic

A
C
PFASAll
A · Very low PFAS2 flags

Lower concern; PLA itself carries minimal PFAS risk, and Vegware makes no intentional additions, but verify end-of-life composting.

EN 13432 (industrial compostability)OK CompostHome Compost (select products)

Risky category by default

More paper straws grades

How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.