Pactiv Evergreen · Disposable Food Containers
Pactiv Evergreen Conventional Foam Hinged Lid Container
Skip. Foam containers often coated with PFAS for grease protection.
Pactiv Evergreen foam containers have undisclosed surface treatments. Foam food packaging frequently uses fluorinated coatings for grease resistance.
The better-graded swap
Eco-Products
Eco-Products Compostable Clear Clamshell Hinged Food
100/100 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
Expanded polystyrene foam with unspecified surface coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Pactiv Evergreen Lid Container is made of, ingredients and materials
This product is expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, a petroleum-derived plastic with air pockets that provides insulation and cushioning. The manufacturer has not publicly disclosed what surface coating or treatment is applied to the foam, which is critical because food-contact foam is often treated with water and grease-repellent chemicals to prevent oil from breaking down the foam. Without ingredient transparency, you cannot determine whether PFAS, other fluorinated coatings, or untested surfactants are present.
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
EPS foam used for food packaging is routinely treated with PFAS-based or other fluorinated water- and grease-repellent coatings. Pactiv Evergreen has not disclosed the coating composition; industry-wide testing shows these substances migrate to fatty and acidic foods. This is the primary hazard for this product class.
Source, ATSDR ↗Polystyrene leaching (styrene monomer)
Expanded polystyrene foam itself can release small amounts of styrene, a possible carcinogen, especially when in contact with acidic, fatty, or hot foods. Migration increases over time and with thermal stress. FDA permits this use but acknowledges styrene leaching occurs.
Unknown surface coating composition
Manufacturer has not disclosed the identity or function of any coating applied to this foam. Without transparency, other antimicrobial, slip-reducing, or barrier chemicals of unknown safety profile may be present and could leach into food.
Microplastic and foam particle shedding
EPS foam degrades with mechanical stress, temperature, and UV exposure, releasing small foam particles. When used for food, these particles can contaminate food, particularly for liquids, hot items, and long storage. Degradation is visible but often goes unnoticed.
Recycling contamination and environmental persistence
EPS foam is difficult to recycle and is banned in many municipalities. Residual food and grease prevent recycling; most EPS ends up in landfills or oceans. While not a direct ingestion hazard, this reflects a product designed without end-of-life safety responsibility.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Pactiv Evergreen has not published ingredient disclosures, chemical safety statements, or third-party certifications for this product line. The brand has not publicly committed to PFAS phase-out or chemical transparency programs that competitors in the foodservice packaging space have adopted. No major recalls or safety violations are on record, but the absence of disclosure itself is a transparency failure.
How it compares in its category
Conventional foam hinged containers are among the highest-risk single-use food packaging for PFAS and unknown coatings; they are in the same tier as fast-food clamshells and greasy-food boxes. Alternatives such as molded fiber (uncoated), bagasse, or PFAS-free certified compostable plastics carry lower documented chemical risk. Some manufacturers now offer foam alternatives explicitly formulated without PFAS, while this product's composition regarding PFAS has not been publicly disclosed.
If you buy it
Do not use for hot or oily foods, as heat and grease accelerate leaching of surface coatings into food. Store dry foods only and keep containers cool. Replace immediately if foam shows visible degradation, cracks, or discoloration. Better practice, request PFAS-free or uncoated fiber containers from your supplier, or choose durable reusable alternatives for foods that will contact the container long-term.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Pactiv Evergreen has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Pactiv Evergreen Conventional Foam Hinged Lid Container?
Eco-Products
Compostable Clear Clamshell Hinged Food
- Compostable resin (PLA/PBAT blend, plant-based)
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Thermal degradation and chemical release at use temperatures
- Sugarcane bagasse (compostable fiber)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bleaching agents and residual processing chemicals
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- polypropylene (PP) container, uncoated
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Microplastics
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
More disposable food containers 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.