Are paper coffee cups and PET drink cups leaching phthalates and PFAS into your drink?
Yes. Beverage cups release phthalates, bisphenols, and PFAS into hot and cold drinks.
What's actually in it
Hot drink cups, smoothie cups, and bubble tea cups are usually polyethylene-coated paper or solid polystyrene and PET. The plastic layer keeps the cup from leaking. It also leaks chemicals back into the drink: phthalates, bisphenols, printing photo-initiators, and PFAS from the grease-resistant coating.
Heat speeds it up. So does fat in milk-based drinks.
What the research says
A 2026 study in J Environ Sci Health B tested polyethylene-coated paper cups and polystyrene cups for migration of phthalates, bisphenols, photo-initiators, and PFAS. All four classes showed up in the drink simulants. PFAS in particular were on the cups even when the brand didn't claim grease resistance.
The team flagged daily takeout drinkers as a real exposure group.
Bring a steel or ceramic travel mug for coffee and tea. For cold drinks, ask for glass or pour into your own bottle. Skip lid straws made of plastic for daily drinks. Cafés that ask for a personal cup usually take a few cents off too.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Migration of phthalates, bisphenols, photoinitiators, and perfluorinated compounds in polyethylene and polystyrene based beverage cups. | J Environ Sci Health B | 2026 |
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