Earth Paperboard Chinese Take-Out Container vs Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct: which is safer?

Matter Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct is the clear pick. Earth Paperboard Chinese Take-Out Container carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Fold-Pak

Earth Paperboard Chinese Take-Out Container

PFAS grade

Poor 25/100

Overall grade

Bad 17/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

paperboard with grease-resistant coating

Confidence

45%

PossibleGrease-resistant coating composition (undisclosed)

PossibleHeat-induced coating leaching into food

Our pick

Matter Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct

Matter

Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 92/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Plant-based fiber pulp (compostable)

Confidence

82%

PossibleMicrobe/mold growth if stored damp

PossibleCellulose degradation under repeated hot/wet stress

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Grease-resistant coating composition (undisclosed) and Heat-induced coating leaching into food on the Fold-Pak and not on the Matter.
  • We flag Microbe/mold growth if stored damp and Cellulose degradation under repeated hot/wet stress on the Matter and not on the Fold-Pak.
  • The Fold-Pak is paperboard with grease-resistant coating where the Matter is Plant-based fiber pulp (compostable), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 75 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Matter is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Fold-Pak grade, at 45% confidence against 82%, 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 food packaging, see the full ranking