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Department of Ecology
Committees, Boards, and Workgroups

PFAS in Food Packaging Alternatives Assessment

Get involved with the PFAS alternatives assessment

The Departments of Ecology and Health use this page to share information and engage with stakeholders and the public about the PFAS in Food Packaging Alternatives Assessment (RCW 70A.222).

Join our email list to stay up-to-date on our work. We welcome your input and feedback throughout our process. Contact the project coordinator, Rae Eaton (rae.eaton@ecy.wa.gov), with questions, and find more ways to get involved below. Review feedback received from stakeholders throughout the alternatives assessment process on our comments page.

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Sharing the second PFAS in Food Packaging AA

The Departments of Ecology and Health submitted the second PFAS in Food Packaging AA Second Report to the Legislature, and published the second PFAS in Food Packaging Second Alternatives Assessment in May 2022.

Our report found safer alternatives to PFAS in five types of food packaging:

  • Bags and sleeves
  • Bowls
  • Flat serviceware, which includes items like plates and trays
  • Open-top containers, which includes items like French fry cartons and food cups
  • Closed containers, which includes items like clamshells

Publishing this report starts a two-year timeline: PFAS will be restricted in these five types of food packaging starting in May 2024. This restriction is in addition to the restriction on PFAS in wraps, plates, food boats, and pizza boxes that begins in February 2023.

Stay engaged with the AA process

Our team provided a project update and answered questions about the second PFAS in Food Packaging AA during our June 2022 overview presentation. Building on information from the first two AAs, we’re starting our work to find safer alternatives in other types of food packaging where we see evidence of PFAS use, like prepackaged microwaveable popcorn bags. 

We need stakeholder input to effectively scope the next AA. We encourage you to continue engaging with our process. We are especially interested in feedback about additional types of packaging we have not addressed that may contain PFAS. Contact the project coordinator, Rae Eaton (rae.eaton@ecy.wa.gov), with questions or concerns.

First PFAS in Food Packaging AA

The Departments of Ecology and Health submitted the PFAS in Food Packaging AA Report to the Legislature, and published the PFAS in Food Packaging Alternatives Assessment in February 2021.

Our report found safer alternatives to PFAS in four types of food packaging:

  • Wraps and liners.
  • Plates.
  • Food boats.
  • Pizza boxes.

Publishing this report starts a two-year timeline: PFAS will be restricted in these four types of food packaging starting in February 2023.

Background

In 2018, the Washington State Legislature passed a law to prohibit all per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in plant fiber-based food packaging. Consequently, PFAS use in specific products is banned two years after Ecology identifies safer alternatives for those products, as described in the Toxics in Packaging law (RCW 70A.222). 

The PFAS Alternatives Assessments (PFAS AAs) must consider chemical hazard, performance, cost and availability, and exposure when searching for safer alternatives. Each section of our second PFAS AA contains detailed findings and updated methods. Before publishing completed assessments in the Washington State Register, Ecology sends our PFAS AAs through an external peer review process.

Resources

Alternatives Assessment Topics of Interest

Hear from the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment on the current state of environmental justice and health equity considerations in the alternatives assessment approach. Get a list of the resources they provide in the webinar on their past webinars page.

Other PFAS Information

Questions?

For more information, contact the PFAS AA Team:

ADA Accessibility: The Department of Ecology is committed to providing people with disabilities access to information and services by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Washington State Policy #188. To request an ADA accommodation, contact Ecology by phone at 360-999-7566 or email at hwtrpubs@ecy.wa.gov. For Washington Relay Service or TTY call 711 or 877-833-6341. Visit Ecology’s website for more information.

Documents

 File NameFile SizeDescriptionCategoryDate Added
PFASAA_SecondAA_ResultsWebinar.pdf 3.3 MB June 2022 Webinar Presentation Slides
June 2022 Webinar Presentation Slides
Webinar slides 06/06/22 12:29 PM
PFASAA_May2021_WebinarPresentation.pdf 1.1 MB May 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
May 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
Webinar slides 05/25/21 02:10 PM
PFASAA_SecondAA_DraftScope.pdf 720.4 KB Draft scope for the second AA
Draft scope for the second AA
Project updates 05/24/21 07:01 AM
PFAS_AA_FeedbackWebinar_April2021.pdf 628.1 KB April 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
April 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
Webinar slides 04/14/21 04:59 PM
PFASAA_March2021_WebinarPresentation.pdf 3.7 MB March 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
March 2021 Webinar Presentation Slides
Webinar slides 03/23/21 02:26 PM
TextDescriptions_Figures_PFAS_FoodPackaging_AA.pdf 534.5 KB Accessible text descriptions for PFAS AA graphics
Accessible text descriptions for PFAS AA graphics
First AA supporting ... 02/22/21 04:42 PM
PFAS AA Update Webinar 9-22-20.pdf 627.1 KB
Webinar slides 09/22/20 10:52 AM
PFAS in Food Contact AA Aug 11 2020 Webinar FINAL.pdf 1.2 MB
Webinar slides 08/12/20 10:19 AM
PFAS AA Update Webinar Recording - 8-11-2020.mp4 41.1 MB
Webinar Materials 08/12/20 09:23 AM
WA State Academy of Sciences PFAS AA Review Committee.pdf 125.5 KB
Project updates 08/06/20 02:56 PM
ScopingCall_No2_11252019.pptx 451.8 KB
General information 07/07/20 04:10 PM
ScopingCall_09102019.pptx 339.9 KB
General information 07/07/20 04:10 PM
PFAS AA Update Webinar 6-30-2020.mp4 62 MB
Webinar Materials 07/01/20 08:17 AM
WA PFAS in Food Contact AA June 30 2020 Webinar FINAL e-comment.pdf 1.5 MB
Webinar slides 06/30/20 12:41 PM
PFAS AA Performance Methodology_0601820 DRAFT APPROVED.pdf 759.1 KB
General information 06/18/20 08:56 AM
PFAS AA Update Webinar Recording 5-26-2020.mp4 58.9 MB
Webinar Materials 05/27/20 09:41 AM
PFAS AA Webinar Polling Question - May 26, 2020.xlsx 9 KB
Webinar Materials 05/26/20 01:41 PM
PFAS in Food Contact AA May 26 2020 FINAL.pptx 18.9 MB
Webinar slides 05/26/20 01:40 PM
Peer Reviewer NDA 4-3-20.docx 18 KB
General information 05/13/20 05:35 PM
PFAS AA Update Webinar Polling Questions 4-14-2020.xlsx 10.9 KB
Webinar Materials 05/04/20 01:31 PM
PFAS in Food Contact AA Apr 14 2020_FINAL.pdf 1.3 MB
Webinar slides 04/15/20 08:57 AM
PFAS AA Project Update Webinar Recording 4-14-2020.mp4 76.5 MB
Webinar Materials 04/15/20 08:53 AM
CBI process for PFAS AA 4-8-20.pdf 159.8 KB
Confidential Busines... 04/10/20 01:40 PM
PFAS_AA_CBI_Request_Template 4-8-20.pdf 93.3 KB
Confidential Busines... 04/10/20 01:40 PM
WA Ecology PFAS AA Exposure Methodology 03192020.pdf 376.4 KB
General information 03/20/20 04:13 PM
Ecology PFAS AA Hazard Methodology 03192020.pdf 192.2 KB
General information 03/20/20 04:12 PM
PFAS AA Project Update Webinar Recording 3-3-2020.mp4 55.9 MB
Webinar Materials 03/04/20 09:16 AM
Ecology PFAS Product and Alternatives Scoping Paper 02-24-2020.docx 26.7 KB
General information 02/25/20 11:14 AM
WA_Food Packaging_UserQuestions.docx 19 KB
General information 02/12/20 08:25 AM
GARE-Racial_Equity_Toolkit.pdf 4.5 MB
General information 02/12/20 08:23 AM
PFAS AA Project Update Webinar Recording 2-11-2020.mp4 51 MB
Webinar Materials 02/12/20 08:23 AM
PFAS in Food Contact AA January 2020 Update.pptx 18.6 MB
Webinar slides 02/12/20 08:21 AM
PFAS in Food Contact AA January 2020 Update.pptx 18.6 MB
Webinar slides 02/07/20 09:43 AM
PFAS AA Project Update 1-28-2020.mp4 45.8 MB
Webinar Materials 02/05/20 03:38 PM
PFAS AA May 2019 Update.pdf 374 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:29 AM
PFAS AA November 2019 update.pdf 179 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:23 AM
PFAS AA October 2019 update.pdf 271.1 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:23 AM
PFAS AA September 2019 update.pdf 297.5 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:22 AM
PFAS AA August 2019 update.pdf 108.3 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:21 AM
PFAS AA July 2019 update.pdf 279.6 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:21 AM
PFAS AA Webinar_05152019.pdf 3 MB May 2019 Webinar
May 2019 Webinar
Webinar slides 01/27/20 10:18 AM
PFAS AA February 2019 update.pdf 177.3 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:15 AM
PFAS AA January 2019 update.pdf 174.7 KB
Project updates 01/27/20 10:15 AM
PFAS_Food_Pckg_AA_Statement_of_Work.pdf 585.3 KB
General information 01/27/20 10:03 AM
PFAS_Food_Pckg_AA_Deliverables.pdf 397.4 KB
General information 01/27/20 10:03 AM
PFAS_Food_Pckg_AA_Timeline.pdf 345.6 KB
General information 01/27/20 10:02 AM
PFASFoodPackagingAAProjectSummary110618.pdf 618.9 KB
General information 01/27/20 10:02 AM
PFAS_AA_Hazard_Assess_Methodology_DRAFT.pdf 424.7 KB
Hazard Assessment 01/27/20 10:01 AM
PFAS_AA_Hazard_Assess_Overview.pdf 595.7 KB
Hazard Assessment 01/27/20 10:01 AM

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