Is Most Wallpaper Toxic?

Written by:

Maia James

07/25/2019

Many of my private consulting clients are looking to wallpaper their homes. Unfortunately, almost all wallpaper currently on the market is coated in vinyl (AKA PVC, which contains endocrine-disrupting phthalates).

What follows are the brands I’ve found that are free of PVC. Please comment below with any others you’ve found! (There are a bunch of other considerations if you want your wallpaper to be super-green, like finding ones made of recycled papers, dyed with only soy-based inks, and so on. If I were undertaking this project, my primary concern would be finding a line that’s free of PVC, and any other eco features would be gravy.)

Maison+C+Coven+Mahogany+ gimme the good stuff
Coven wallpaper by Maison C.

PVC-Free Wallpaper Lines

genevieve floral wallpaper from spoonflower
Genevieve wallpaper from Spoonflower
  1. Maison C. (my personal favorite)
  2. Spoonflower
  3. Ferm Living
  4. Madison and Grow
  5. Twenty2
  6. Paper Mills
  7. Flat Vernacular (avoid their mylar version)
  8. Pintura
  9. Eskayel

If you’re considering buying any of these lines, please check with them to confirm that the specific paper you’ve selected is free of PVC/vinyl. Some brands can even show you certifications of purity.

Non-Toxic Wallpaper Glues and Adhesives

When hanging wallpaper, you’ll also want to make sure you use a non-toxic glue, and definitely one that doesn’t contain fungicides. You can actually make this yourself with flour. There are companies that make non-toxic wallpaper glue as well, but most of them are in Europe.

The ingredient in these nontoxic pastes is methylcellulose, which the Environmental Working Group gives a 0 on the hazard scale. Here are a couple of non-toxic pastes I’ve found.

  1. Auro 389 Wallpaper Paste 
  2. Mister Art

Stay sane,

Maia, Founder & CEO

PS: A number of clients have also asked about VOC-free chalkboard paint. For that I like this one by Lullaby Paints.

If you’re enjoying this guide, sign up for our Newsletter to be alerted when we publish or update our Safe Product Guides.

, , , ,
, ,

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

Join our mailing list to receive a free Cleaning Products Cheat Sheet and $5 off your first order from the store.

Subscribe

Related Posts

How to Create a Sustainable, Non-Toxic Yard

Posted on
If you’re a regular reader, you may already have a non-toxic yard, since you likely know about the well-established dangers of lawn care chemicals. However, even for those of you…

Healthiest Popsicles Guide

Posted on
Making your own will result in the very healthiest fruit popsicles, especially since every store-bought one comes in plastic. Sometimes it makes sense to buy fruit pops to have on…
austin air bedroom machine with wheels in black gimme the good stuff

How to Choose the Best Air Filter

Posted on
There are few things as elementally important as clean air. Each of us takes up to 30,000 breaths a day. What our bodies want is oxygen, but what we actually…

Best Non-Toxic Mattress Shopping Guide

Posted on
Written by Maia & John Finding the best non-toxic mattress is super-important because it’s a big financial investment. It can also be very confusing to sort through all of the…

2023 Non-Toxic Sofa Brands Guide

Posted on
Welcome to the latest version of our complete guide to finding eco-friendly, non-toxic sofa brands. I was once a guest on The Dr. Oz Show with a toxicologist from Yale…

2023 Safe Non-Toxic Cookware Guide

Posted on
I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of great “healthful” restaurants. I put that word in quotes because while organic French fries cooked in trans-fat free oil are better…

Leave a Reply

  1. Nicole Olesh Avatar
    Nicole Olesh

    Is Serena & Lilly wallpaper non-toxic? I called and wasn’t confident in their answer. They said it is made from “regular paper and there is no lead in the ink…the toxins come from the wallpaper glue.” I was going to choose a non-toxic glue, but how can I confirm there are no toxins in the paper? I also read that the toxins dissipate over time, so if the wallpaper is hung and the room is vacant to air out for a week or so, it will no longer give off toxins. is that true?

  2. Tara Avatar
    Tara

    Hi there, thanks for the useful information on wallpaper/wallpaper paste. I found this wallpaper on burke decor.com and would like to place an order asap to update my dining room. it sounds good, although I am unsure of it because the description says “acrylic coated” could you let me know if you think it’s safe for home?

    Brilliant Scroll Wallpaper in Grey and Neutrals by Seabrook Wallcovering

    Features: Acrylic-Coated – Unpasted – Pretrimmed
    Strippable – Washable – Lightfast
    This collection is environmentally friendly. Our manufacturers use paper from sustainable forests and water-based non-toxic inks for a healthy indoor environment and a biodegradable future.