How to Bring Sustainable Packaging to your Restaurant

noissue Compostable Custom Food Wrapping Paper by @macarondejayne

Sustainable packaging has become more important than ever. If you're in the restaurant or takeout business, now is the time to make the switch to better food packaging materials!

The pandemic shut down many restaurants, and the demand for delivery and takeout services has skyrocketed. Such a surge in food deliveries made restaurant owners adapt to the new model of packaging food in large amounts. The new generation of consumers are demanding for brands to prioritize sustainability, and using traditional plastic and styrofoam packaging hurts your business and the environment.

Plastic and styrofoam take hundreds of years to break down and decompose. Many lawmakers worldwide have also banned single-use plastic, which makes it harder for restaurants to depend on it for packaging. Even small businesses like homemade cake shops are also trying to be as sustainable as they can with more eco-friendly and biodegradable food packaging.

A recent survey suggested that around 79% of consumers change their purchase preferences based on the product's sustainability. More and more consumers are practicing sustainability in their everyday lives by changing their shopping behavior, being more energy efficient, and minimizing food waste.

This change in consumer habits demonstrate sustainability's potential on a positive customer experience. Shifting to eco-friendly custom food packaging will therefore drive brand loyalty with such customers.

How to use Sustainable Food Packaging

These days there are many ways to bring sustainable packaging to your restaurant business and reduce your overall carbon footprint. There are many eco-friendly sources of custom food packaging. Here are some examples:

Compostable and Biodegradable Food Packaging

Compostable packaging is made of materials that can be composted easily at home and commercially. Often, they’re made from plant-based polymers that break down during composting. Depending on the material and compost quality, a home compost facility can break down the material in 180 days, while a commercial compost facility can do the job in just 90 days.

Biodegradable food packaging is primarily plant-based, consisting of natural ingredients and naturally occurring polymer bonds. Usually, they have a degradation period ranging from a couple of days to a few months.

Commonly, greaseproof paper is used for food packaging to prevent food grease from leaking out. Eco-friendly food wrapping paper is also compostable, so none of it will end up in landfills as waste.

Plant-Based Packaging

There are many plant-based packaging options these days. As the name suggests, plant-based packaging is made from plant materials such as mushrooms, corn, seaweed, or food waste. The plant-based product you use will depend on the product you need to ship.

For instance, if you’re selling food products, you need to use something that will not affect the flavor of the food. On the other hand, if you’re shipping heavier items, you should consider materials like cornstarch and mushrooms.

Edible Packaging

This is exactly what it sounds like. Made from plant-based material, edible packaging is safe to eat. Edible packaging comes from the family of plant-based packaging but takes things a step further by making it possible to eat.

Recycled Packaging

Using recycled materials for packaging is a great way to extend the life of previously used materials and avoid using virgin plastics. If you want to use takeout boxes or other to-go packaging, you must consider recyclable packaging material.

One of the best options for recyclable packaging is the use of recycled kraft for takeout boxes, sandwich bags, food delivery bags. Made of paper pulp, kraft is lightweight and can easily be made into containers of different sizes and shapes.

This packaging option is also cost-effective compared to other alternatives. Some of these recycled food packaging boxes include a grease-proof lining to ensure oil does not leak out.

How To Transition to Eco-Friendly Packaging

If you have decided to shift towards more sustainable packaging options, you need to make a strategy to make the transition smoother.

You may be tempted to change everything at once and move to the path of sustainability. However, change requires research, testing, trial and error, and so on. So, changing everything at once may be overwhelming for your team, and you may not be able to implement your initiatives.

Taking things slow while moving towards the path of sustainability is recommended. Rather than replacing everything at once, you can try it with a couple of items and see how things go. For instance, if your takeout boxes come in different sizes, change one or two sizes first for your eco-friendlier ones and analyze the results before moving further.

Since you’re changing your packaging, it’s pretty apparent that the overall cost of the product might change a bit too. Adjust the new prices accordingly for what will work best for your business and customers.

🎁 That's a Wrap!

Decided to move to eco-friendly and sustainable packaging? Check out our range of food packaging products – we’ve got you covered on better materials that are recycled, recyclable, reusable, or compostable!

Our packaging is sustainably designed to be environmentally friendly and customizable to your branding. Design your brand's recyclable takeout boxes, compostable food wrapping paper, and more!