Non-Toxic Paper Napkins, ranked by PFAS grade
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Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
8 of the 15 paper napkins PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 53.3% of the category, as of October 2026, leaving 7 that pass. The highest graded is Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Napkins at 70 out of 100.
The full ranking is below, best-graded first, with every score linking to the evidence behind it.
Are paper napkins safe?
7 of the 15 paper napkins we graded come back low-concern on our screen and 8 do not. Our grades are model-based assessments built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, not laboratory tests, so they say what we can evidence rather than that anything is safe.
Best graded paper napkins here
- 1Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Napkins 70 out of 100
- 2Bounty Quilted Napkins, 1-Ply, White, 100 Count 70 out of 100
- 3Scott Full-Fold Dispenser Napkins 1-Ply 70 out of 100
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The best non-toxic paper napkins & paper towels, ranked by grade
Buyer’s guide
What to look for in paper napkins & paper towels, and which brands grade best and worst
Paper Napkins & Paper Towels, ranked.
The quickest read, what to skip and the top-graded picks worth buying instead.
Bounty
1-Ply Quilted Napkins
Higher concern. Grease-resistant napkins often use PFAS without disclosure.
Seventh Generation
100% Recycled Paper Napkins
Lower-concern choice. Recycled paper napkins typically avoid PFAS treatment.
Why Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Napkins wins, and what it beats
Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 45 points between the top and the bottom of this paper napkins & paper towels ranking come from.
The winner
Made of 100% recycled paper.
- +25Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
- +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
- -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
30risk points in total, which is a grade of 70
What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure, and our graders recorded 2 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.
What it beats, and why
What puts it behind. Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment, +35 points. Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of virgin and recycled fiber with grease-resistant coating.
- +35Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
- +25Category baseline
- +15No PFAS disclosure
75risk points, a grade of 25
No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.
Which paper napkins & paper towels are PFAS-free? Good or Excellent, best-graded first
- 100% recycled paper
- Trace metals and contaminants from recycled feedstock
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Virgin wood pulp, 1-ply, no waterproofing layer
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Starting grade for this product type
- Virgin wood pulp, 1-ply paper
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bleach residues and chlorinated byproducts
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- virgin fiber paper napkin, uncoated
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Chlorine residues (bleaching byproducts)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- virgin wood pulp, uncoated
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Ink migration from printing (if printed)
- Virgin fiber tissue (cellulose)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Starting grade for this product type
- 100% recycled paper (virgin fiber-free)
- Ink and dye migration from recycled fiber
Which paper napkins & paper towels contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- virgin and recycled fiber with grease-resistant coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- wood pulp with water/oil-resistant coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- cellulose pulp with grease-resistant coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Virgin wood pulp with grease-resistant coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Wood pulp with grease-resistant coating (unspecified fluorochemistry)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Cellulose (wood pulp) with grease-resistant treatment
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Grease-resistant coating composition (fluorinated or non-fluorinated unknown)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Virgin wood pulp with grease-resistant treatment (composition unspecified)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- virgin wood pulp, quilted structure with water/grease resistance coating (type unspecified)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- PFAS
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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