The use of food packaging has been a contentious point for years. How much should food packaging be used? What kind of food packaging is best? Should food packaging be used at all in some instances? It’s these questions that create innumerable problems for food and drinks retailers, including all manner of businesses offering takeaways.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, countless restaurants, coffee houses, sandwich bars and other establishments have relied on offering takeaways to keep business afloat. This, in turn, has highlighted the importance of sustainable food and drinks packaging to ensure that the environment and customer well-being is protected at all times.
What you can expect in this article:
What Is Sustainable Food Packaging?
At its essence, sustainable packaging has unique properties that prevent environmental damage due to sourcing, manufacturing and usage. It also guarantees businesses a reliable source of packaging for years to come since it can be continually produced efficiently — a real win-win.
Sustainable packaging comes in many forms. Recycled and recyclable packaging can be repurposed after initial usage, while compostable or biodegradable packaging doesn’t leave a trace after it’s served its purpose and isn’t suitable for reuse.
Why Is Sustainable Packaging Important?
Since more takeaways are being served than ever, more food and drinks packaging is required. Customers need to have the option to responsibly dispose of their takeaway packaging. Otherwise, much of the packaging produced will end up as landfill waste. By offering recycled, recyclable and biodegradable packaging, consumers are afforded better opportunities to act in an environmentally conscious manner. These types of food and drinks packaging are also useful for keeping various items fresher for longer, reducing food waste as a result.
Sustainable Food Packaging Solutions for Hospitality
There is a bounty of sustainable packaging options for businesses to choose from now that the packaging industry has an enhanced focus on producing eco-friendly packaging products. So which options are best?
Kraft Food Packaging
Virgin Kraft board is durable and eco-friendly, making it suitable for a wide range of food products. When lined with eco-friendly PLA bioplastic, it boasts some impressive grease-proof and water-resistant properties, making it ideal for even the messiest of meals. Customers benefit from a better takeaway experience as a result.
Bioplastic Cups
Ideal for cold drinks, bioplastics feature incredible eco-friendly qualities that could make oil-based plastics irrelevant in the hospitality industry. They’re recyclable, much like the previously ubiquitous oil-based plastics, but they’re produced using renewable sources, making them biodegradable and a much more sustainable option for businesses offering takeaways.
Bagasse Food Containers
Made from sugarcane pulp — the waste product from harvesting sugarcane — bagasse is widely available and a renewable resource. Pulp-based products are biodegradable and compostable, making them well-suited for hot, wet or oily food products, offering better performance and practicality than plastic equivalents. Customers can throw away their takeaways guilt-free using bagasse packaging since it degrades quickly.
Why Are Businesses Adopting Sustainable Packaging?
With more sustainable packaging solutions becoming available all the time, more businesses are reaping the benefits of a more eco-friendly approach. An overwhelming majority of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, a trend that’s only set to continue as less eco-conscious brands fall out of favour with even their most loyal customers.
The future looks bright for businesses in the hospitality sector that are strategically implementing sustainable packaging — including global brands like McDonald’s that continue to drive towards more sustainable packaging practices. Smaller businesses will no doubt follow suit and bid to outdo one another to establish themselves as the most eco-friendly options available in their area.
Author: Takeaway Packaging specialises in branded packaging solutions with an eco-friendly focus, supplying restaurants, street food vendors, coffee shops and many more.
