Who Gives A Crap · Paper Napkins & Paper Towels
Paper Towels - Who Gives a Crap
Lower-concern choice; uncoated paper towels are unlikely PFAS vectors, but brand transparency on coating is absent.
Who Gives a Crap paper towels are plain virgin and recycled fiber with no disclosed water-resistance or grease-barrier coatings, the primary PFAS risk for paper products. The brand does not market PFAS-free status or provide third-party verification.
Shop Who Gives A Crap on Amazon →Material
Virgin & recycled fiber pulp, uncoated
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Who Gives a Crap paper towels are made from virgin and recycled fiber pulp with no chemical coatings, making them a chemically simple product. Uncoated paper has minimal risk of leaching synthetic additives into food or hands because there is no plastic layer, resin, or fluorinated finish. The material is biodegradable and designed to break down, eliminating long-term accumulation concerns. Bleaching and pulping processes are standard industry practice but do not introduce persistent hazards at consumer-use concentrations.
The brand's record and disclosure
Who Gives a Crap markets itself as an environmentally conscious brand and publicly commits to sustainability, recycled content, and reduced packaging waste. The company does not prominently disclose detailed chemical testing results or third-party safety certifications for paper products themselves. No public recalls, safety violations, or chemical contamination incidents have been established for this product line. The brand's silence on PFAS or coating chemistry likely reflects the product's inherent simplicity rather than a transparency gap, but independent verification of manufacturing standards is limited.
How it compares in its category
Standard uncoated paper towels from most manufacturers (Name, Bounty, Seventh Generation) carry similar low chemical risk profiles. Who Gives a Crap's differentiation is environmental: higher recycled content and packaging reduction, not chemical safety. Some premium or specialty paper towels add lotion, aloe, or antimicrobial coatings, which introduce additional hazards absent here. For chemical safety alone, this product sits at the low-risk end of the category, though no paper towel brand conducts routine consumer-facing chemical testing.
If you buy it
Paper towels require no special handling or maintenance beyond keeping them dry and away from direct heat sources to prevent degradation. Do not use near open flames or extremely hot surfaces, as all cellulose paper will char and release combustion byproducts. Replace rolls if they show signs of mold or water damage, which indicates bacterial or fungal growth. Storage in cool, dry conditions maximizes shelf life and prevents premature breakdown.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing resins in paper processing
Uncoated tissue papers may use small amounts of formaldehyde-based wet-strength additives during manufacturing, but consumer-exposure studies on paper towels show negligible off-gassing. No evidence specific to Who Gives a Crap products indicates unusual formaldehyde content.
Chlorine bleach residues and dioxin byproducts
Conventional bleaching of pulp can generate trace dioxins as contaminants, though regulated in most developed nations. Who Gives a Crap does not specify bleaching method (elemental chlorine-free, oxygen-based, or unbleached), making assessment of this hazard uncertain for their specific product.
Heavy metals or inks from recycled content
Recycled fiber can theoretically carry trace metals or printing inks if contaminated, but paper towels are not designed for food contact and are subject to FDA recycled-content rules. No recalls or contamination reports exist for Who Gives a Crap products.
Bacterial or mold growth during storage or use
Paper towels are hygroscopic and absorb moisture; damp storage or humid environments can promote bacterial and fungal colonization independent of manufacturing. This is a usage hazard rather than a product hazard.
Coating leachables or Teflon-type coating fume risk
Uncoated paper presents no Teflon-type coating fume risk and no chemical coating to leach. This hazard class does not apply to this product.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 78% 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 Napkins & Paper Towels
Seventh Generation
White Napkins Lunch (12x250 CT)
virgin wood pulp napkins
Lower-concern choice; unbleached/chlorine-free virgin pulp napkins carry minimal inherent PFAS risk.
⚠Risky category by default
Bamboo
Grove Co. Tree-Free Napkins
Bamboo fiber, tree-free pulp
Lower concern: bamboo napkins lack grease-resistance features that trigger PFAS use; Grove Co.
⚠Risky category by default
Seventh Generation
100% Recycled Napkins 1-Ply
100% recycled paper (virgin fiber-free)
Lower-concern choice; plain paper napkins rarely require PFAS treatments.
⚠Risky category by default
More paper napkins & paper towels 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.