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
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleMicrobe/mold growth if stored damp
PossibleCellulose degradation under repeated hot/wet stress
Tellus
Compostable Clamshell
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
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 →
More food packaging, see the full ranking