Why There is No Non-Toxic Vinyl Contact Paper

Contact paper is a flexible PVC (polyvinyl chloride) product. Contact paper refers to the type of self-adhesive vinyl film that can go over countertops, kitchen cupboards, furniture, and shelves.

Depending on what the project is, alternatives could be peel-and-sick acrylic wallpaper or PVC-free craft vinyl/sign vinyl which I talk about at the end of the article.

I go over the chemicals of concern in vinyl contact paper.

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Concerns with Contact Paper

VOCs: PVC-vinyl offgasses VOCs, which will have a noticeable odor to most people, at least to those with a high sense of smell. Chemically sensitive people would not usually use this product due to the odor/VOCs.

Phthalates: While alternative plasticizers are used in many PVC products now, most contact paper brands are still using phthalates as far as I can see. One brand (below) said that they do not use phthalates.

Lead: Lead can also be used in PVC contact paper and you may see this as a Prop 65 warning on some brands. Lead can be used as a stabilizer in PVC and/or as a pigment.

Food Safety: Contact paper is often used on countertops but the brands I have looked at are not considered food safe. This can be due to the phthalates, lead, or the inks and dyes.

Environmental concerns: PVC takes a high toll on the environment in its production and disposal. While my website does not cover environmental impacts of products, it’s worth noting for PVC. For more info see, Habitable, the Ecology Center, and Greenpeace.

Brands of Contact Paper & Chemicals Used

Con-tact brand says “We don’t recommend placing food directly on the liners. We encourage food to be covered with something food-grade safe, then use our liners as decoration”. (source) However, they did not get back to me by email on if the product contains phthalates or lead.

d-c-fix Decor has a Prop 65 warning for phthalates and lead on Lowes.

Duck brand – They said in an email that their contact paper is phthalate-free. “If a phthalate is detected above 1000 ppm (0.1%), we would label the product with a Prop 65 warning,” they said. There is no Prop 65 warning on their Lowes. But Prop 65 only includes 6 of many phthalate types.

Alternatives to PVC Contact Paper

While there is no alternative that can cover countertops or cabinet doors, there are a couple of alternatives that can work in some situations:

1. Acrylic or Polyester Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper – these types of wallpaper are used on walls and can also be used as drawer liners. They do not contain phthalates and are very or extremely low VOC. Brands include Spoonflower, Chasing Paper, and some of the Walls By Me peel-and-stick designs.

2. Non-PVC sign vinyl – Eco-Friendly Crafts’ non-PVC, lead-free, and phthalate-free craft vinyl can be used as window decals, for children’s toys and crafts, food packaging, and other vinyl crafts. They don’t say what plastic this is but they are clear it’s not PVC. (Vinyl can refer to other plastics like EVA).

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.