Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct vs Paper Cup: which is safer?
Matter Compostable Food Storage Container 5ct is the clear pick. Starbucks Paper Cup 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
Starbucks
Paper Cup
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in cup lining (polyethylene coating)
PossibleBisphenol A (BPA) or replacement bisphenols in lining adhesives
PossiblePhthalates in plastic coating
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 Starbucks.
- We flag PFAS in cup lining (polyethylene coating), Bisphenol A (BPA) or replacement bisphenols in lining adhesives, Phthalates in plastic coating and Coating degradation and microplastic release with heat on the Starbucks and not on the Matter.
- The gap is 65 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Matter is the one to buy.
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