World Art Hot Cups 4oz vs Pike Place K-Cup: which is safer?
Eco-Products World Art Hot Cups 4oz is the clear pick. Starbucks Pike Place K-Cup carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Eco-Products
World Art Hot Cups 4oz
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleLeachables from undisclosed grease-resistant coating
PossibleThermal degradation and microplastic potential if overheated
ReportedIncomplete composting in non-industrial environments
Starbucks
Pike Place K-Cup
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleUnknown plastic/coating lining leachables
PossibleMicroplastics from pod degradation
PossibleBPA or BPS in undisclosed lining
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Leachables from undisclosed grease-resistant coating, Thermal degradation and microplastic potential if overheated and Incomplete composting in non-industrial environments on the Eco-Products and not on the Starbucks.
- We flag Unknown plastic/coating lining leachables, Microplastics from pod degradation, BPA or BPS in undisclosed lining and Inadequate pod recycling/cross-contamination on the Starbucks and not on the Eco-Products.
- The Eco-Products is Plant-based compostable PLA coating where the Starbucks is K-Cup plastic pod with paper/cellulose filter and unknown coating/lining, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Eco-Products is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Starbucks grade, at 35% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More coffee cups, see the full ranking