Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct vs Compostable Clamshell: which is safer?

Matter Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct is the clear pick. Tellus Compostable Clamshell carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

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

Tellus Compostable Clamshell

Tellus

Compostable Clamshell

PFAS grade

Poor 25/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Polylactic acid (PLA) or plant-based plastic blend with unknown coating/barrier

Confidence

35%

ReportedPFAS in barrier coating or sealant

PossibleMicroplastics and degradation byproducts

PossibleMigration of PLA additives and degradation products

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Microbe/mold growth if stored damp and Cellulose degradation under repeated hot/wet stress on the Matter and not on the Tellus.
  • We flag PFAS in barrier coating or sealant, Microplastics and degradation byproducts, Migration of PLA additives and degradation products and Undisclosed coatings or processing residues on the Tellus and not on the Matter.
  • The Matter is Plant-based fiber pulp (compostable) where the Tellus is Polylactic acid (PLA) or plant-based plastic blend with unknown coating/barrier, 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 Tellus grade, at 35% 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 →

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