Recommendations

Recommendations

Restaurant and grocery chains and other food retailers

1. Adopt and implement a public policy with clear quantifiable goals and timelines for reducing and eliminating PFAS in all food contact materials in restaurants and supply chains.
2. Ensure substitutes are safer, at a minimum free of any GreenScreen Benchmark 1 chemicals and any organohalogen compounds.
3. Provide safe reusable food serviceware and train staff to make this the default for customers.
4. Publicly report on progress and announce when the food contact materials are PFAS-free.
5. Develop a comprehensive safer chemicals policy to reduce and eliminate other toxic chemicals, such as ortho-phthalates, in food contact materials and other products.

Other parties also have a role to play

1. Federal, state, and local governments should ban PFAS, as well as other substances made using organohalogens, in food contact materials; ensure safer alternatives; and leverage their institutional purchasing power to buy safer PFAS-free food serviceware.
2. EPA should close the loophole that allows the dangerous climate pollutant HCFC-22 to be used as an intermediate in the manufacture of PFAS.
3. Polluters like Daikin should pay for the cleanup of PFAS in communities that have been affected by manufacturing, use, and disposal.
4. FDA should withdraw its approvals for all PFAS in food contact materials and not approve any new PFAS.
5. Commercial composting facilities should accept only food packaging that is certified PFAS-free (i.e. certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute or the Compost Manufacturing Alliance).
6. Individuals should call on food retailers and elected officials to ban PFAS in food contact materials.

Read the full report