Dixie To Go 12 oz. Paper Cup with Leak-Resistant Lid
Medium-high risk. Skip if you want PFAS-free; assume fluorinated barrier.
Water- and grease-resistant coatings on food-contact paper cups have historically used fluorinated compounds. Dixie makes no public PFAS claim or commitment.
The safe swap
Eco-Products
Eco-Products World Art Hot Cups 4oz
70/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Good.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Paper cup with water/grease-resistant coating (unspecified chemistry)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent treatments have historically contained PFAS chemicals.
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Coating chemistry undisclosed; industry default for leak-resistant paper cups is fluorinated compounds. Migration risk increases with heat and liquid acidity (coffee, citrus drinks).
Source: ATSDR ↗Thermal degradation of coating
Repeated hot-liquid contact or heating may compromise coating integrity, potentially increasing particulate or compound release. No public testing of this specific product available.
Microplastic or coating fragments
Wear or damage to the interior coating can shed particles into beverages. More likely after repeated or high-heat use, though single-use cups mitigate this risk.
What’s reassuring
Ink/dyes in printed branding
Exterior printing on Dixie cups uses food-contact-approved inks; no heavy-metal contamination or formaldehyde issues documented for this brand's cup line.
Bleach residue or processing chemicals
Paper pulp processing may leave trace chlorine or other bleaching agents, but concentrations in food-contact paper are regulated and not a documented hazard for Dixie cups.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Dixie To Go cups are paper-based with a water and grease-resistant coating applied to the interior. The coating chemistry is not disclosed by the brand, but industry standard for such products is a fluorinated barrier (likely PFAS-based) or, less commonly, polyethylene. The coating prevents liquid seepage and grease penetration but introduces uncertainty around PFAS migration, especially with hot beverages. Paper itself is benign; the coating is the functional, and safety, question.
The brand's record and disclosure
Dixie (owned by Georgia-Pacific) does not publicly disclose the specific chemistry of its cup coatings or commit to PFAS-free alternatives on this product line. The brand has not faced major public recalls tied to coating leachates, but transparency about fluorinated compounds remains absent. Dixie has not published phase-out timelines or reformulation plans for PFAS-containing coatings in food contact products, unlike some competitors (e.g., Footprint, some store brands).
How it compares in its category
Single-use paper cups with leak-resistant coatings dominate the market and nearly all major brands (Dixie, Solo, Dart) rely on fluorinated coatings for performance. PFAS-free alternatives exist (e.g., Notpla, World Centric compostable cups with non-fluorinated barriers) but are less common and more expensive. Dixie's product is typical in its hazard profile, neither worse nor better than competitor equivalents, making it a category-wide concern rather than a brand-specific failure.
If you buy it
Use for room-temperature or warm (not boiling) liquids to minimize any potential coating migration. Avoid microwaving or prolonged contact with hot beverages above 60°C (140°F). Do not reuse cups; they are single-use and degradation of the coating increases with thermal stress. For daily coffee use, consider switching to a reusable ceramic or stainless-steel mug to reduce cumulative PFAS and plastic waste exposure.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 42% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Dixie has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Safer alternatives in Coffee Cups
Eco-Products
World Art Hot Cups 4oz
Plant-based compostable PLA coating
PLA monomer leaching (lactic acid/oligomers)
Limited concern
Compostability claims vs. actual infrastructure
Moderate concern
Coating degradation and exposure over time
Limited concern
Mold or bacterial growth in wet storage
Limited concern
Lower PFAS concern. Brand explicitly avoids PFAS in compostable cups.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
Solo
Cup Company Grips Plastic Cups SQ1830
polystyrene plastic (PS) with grip coating
Polystyrene monomer and oligomer leaching
Limited concern
Undisclosed grip-coating additives
Limited concern
Microplastics
Limited concern
Off-gassing and volatile organic compounds
Limited concern
Low-medium risk. PFAS less likely, but Solo doesn't disclose coating details.
⚠Risky category by default
Eco-Products
World Art Renewable Resource Hot Drink Cups
Paperboard with unknown water/grease-resistant coating
Undisclosed water-resistant coating leaching
Limited concern
Coating degradation under thermal stress
Limited concern
Microplastic/fiber shedding from damaged coating
Limited concern
Inadequate compostability if coating is synthetic
Limited concern
Medium-high risk. Skip until coating chemistry is disclosed.
⚠Waterproof or stain-proof treatment
More coffee cups 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.