World Centric · Food Packaging
World Centric NoTree Paper #1 Take-Out Container with PLA Window 26oz
Avoid until coating transparency improves; grease-resistant packaging often contains PFAS.
This paperboard container with PLA window uses an unspecified grease-resistant treatment, and the brand provides no PFAS information. Grease barriers in takeout packaging commonly use legacy PFAS without public documentation or testing.
The better-graded swap
Bagasse
Bagasse PFAS-Free Food Containers
95/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Unbleached paperboard with PLA window; grease-resistant coating unspecified
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What World Centric NoTree Paper #1 PLA Window is made of, ingredients and materials
This container combines unbleached paperboard (the main body) with a PLA (polylactic acid) window and an unspecified grease-resistant coating on the interior. Unbleached paperboard avoids some bleach-derived contaminants but does not guarantee absence of other processing chemicals. PLA is a compostable plastic derived from corn or sugarcane, which is chemically stable under normal storage but can degrade or leach when exposed to heat above 140°F (60°C). The grease-resistant coating is the critical unknown, such coatings in food packaging frequently contain PFAS (fluorinated compounds) to repel oils, and the manufacturer has not disclosed the specific chemistry.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Grease-resistant coatings in compostable paperboard containers are well-documented to contain PFAS or PFAS-alternatives in the industry. World Centric has not disclosed whether this coating contains PFAS, PFOA, or replacement fluorochemicals. Until confirmed otherwise, assume risk is present.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating degradation and leaching
PLA window and unknown interior coating may degrade under repeated dishwashing heat, extended hot-food contact, or physical stress from handling. Degradation can increase leaching of coating residues into food.
PLA instability at elevated temperature
PLA windows begin to soften and leach above 140°F (60°C). Hot foods, dishwashers, or microwaves can compromise PLA integrity and potentially release oligomers or residual monomers.
Microplastic shedding from PLA
Wear, scratching, or heat cycling of the PLA window may generate fine plastic particles. While PLA is compostable, particulate shedding during use before composting is a known concern in compostable food packaging.
Incomplete chemical disclosure
No Safety Data Sheet or detailed chemical inventory is publicly available for the specific coating used in this product. This gap prevents accurate risk assessment and suggests either proprietary secrecy or lack of formal hazard documentation by the supplier.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
World Centric (under parent company Footprint/formerly Biotrem) markets products as compostable and sustainable but has not published detailed chemical disclosure for this specific coating. The brand holds compostability certifications (BPI, OK Compost) for the overall container, which attests to physical breakdown but does not address chemical hazards like PFAS in coatings. No public statements or third-party testing results are on record addressing PFAS content in World Centric take-out containers. This silence on a known industry-wide issue (PFAS in grease-resistant food packaging) is a transparency gap.
How it compares in its category
Compostable paperboard containers are marketed as an eco-alternative to plastic-lined conventional takeout boxes, but they face the same PFAS coating challenge, grease resistance requires chemical treatment. Compared to polystyrene foam or plastic clamshells, this product avoids synthetic polymer leaching under normal conditions but substitutes an unknown coating hazard. Some competitors (notably Notpla and certain Vegware lines) explicitly state PFAS-free coatings or use silicone alternatives, making transparency itself a competitive differentiator this brand has not adopted.
If you buy it
Reserve this container for cold or room-temperature foods only; do not microwave or place hot liquids directly in contact with the coating. If the interior coating shows visible wear, cracking, or cloudiness after repeated use, dispose of it rather than continuing to use it, as degraded coatings may release trapped chemicals. Hand wash gently; dishwasher heat may accelerate coating breakdown. Request the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet for the grease-resistant coating before large-volume purchase to reduce uncertainty.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 42% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- World Centric has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to World Centric NoTree Paper #1 Take-Out Container with PLA Window 26oz?
- Plant-based fiber pulp (compostable)
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Microbe/mold growth if stored damp
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Eco-Products
Eco Products WorldView Compostable Take-Out Containers EP-SCRC32
- Plant-based fiber (compostable sugarcane bagasse)
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Bleaching agents and processing residues
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Eco-Products
WorldView Sugarcane Take-Out Containers
- Sugarcane bagasse (post-consumer fiber)
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Cellulose fiber degradation and food contact
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
More food packaging grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.