Say goodbye to flimsy plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers with these eco friendly restaurant packaging ideas.
Did you know that containers and packaging make up more than 23% of all waste in American landfills? If you’re considering this impact, try switching up your fast food packaging with eco friendly or sustainable packaging.
Here are six of our favorite eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic packaging.
1. Soft Loop Handle Take-Out Bags
Traditional plastic bags are anything but durable, and often lead to spills. These Soft Loop Handle Take-Out Food Bags make a great alternative to plastic bags. The wide bottoms with cardboard inserts easily accommodate food containers and prevent unnecessary messes. While its strong, high-performance plastic is made with recycled materials.
2. Eco-Pak White Take-Out Boxes
With Eco-Pak White Take-Out Boxes, customers can depend on the top lock to prevent spills, as well as an interior coating that makes the containers grease-resistant. Fully recyclable and microwavable, these boxes are a worry-free staple for any food delivery operation.
3. Molded Fiber Clamshell Take-Out Containers
Molded Fiber Clamshell Take-Out Containers are fully biodegradable and compostable. They’re also durable enough to protect take-out orders at every stage of the delivery process. Use these containers to transport hot/cold food.
4. White/Kraft Versa Recycled Handle Bags
An eco-chic alternative to plastic bags, our Versa Recycled Handle Bags are made from recycled materials. These twisted-handled shoppers can also be customized with your restaurant’s name or logo to add a branded touch.
5. Bio-Plus® Earth Kraft Take-Out Boxes
If your restaurant is 100% committed to going green, try these Bio-Plus® Earth Kraft Take-Out Boxes. They are made from 100% recycled cardboard paper and endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association. Bio-Plus® boxes are also biodegradable and chlorine-free. Plus, they can easily hold any food item, whether hot or cold, greasy or crunchy.
6. Molded Biodegradable Fiber Plates
Our Molded Biodegradable Fiber Plates are a great alternative to styrofoam lunch trays. They are made from compressed sugarcane fiber, making them fully compostable.
If your restaurant hasn’t already started taking steps towards a greener business model, investing in eco-friendly packaging is a great way to start. With Paper Mart’s lowest price guarantee, you can keep your overhead costs under control — and prevent waste from getting out of hand.
So I have been working in the restaurant industry for 3 years now and it has always bothered me how much waste is produced from all the takeout containers being used. I know that one restaurant isn’t going to make much of a difference if they were to switch to a more eco-friendly container, so with that being said I would love to implement more eco-friendly packaging for restaurants all over my city. What kind of packaging would you suggest I start with that would be the most cost-effective when approaching businesses?
Hi Willa! We totally understand where you’re coming from. In terms of eco-friendly packaging for your business, we recommend looking for packaging that is transparent about their material content like paper, cardboard, or compostable fibers. Keep an eye out for boxes and bags made with recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable materials. Another reliable indicator is if your packaging has a certification printed along the exterior. Certifications from third parties help ensure that the products you’re using have been consciously designed and produced.
I’ve written a couple of resources for you that could help narrow down your search if you want to check them out,
How To Go Green With Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials: https://blog.papermart.com/buyers-guide/how-to-go-green-with-your-packaging/
A Peek Behind The Scenes: Sustainability With Paper Mart: https://blog.papermart.com/news-press/behind-the-scenes-light-transition/
We’ve also put together a few eco-friendly packaging items that you might find useful for you and your business here: https://www.papermart.com/i/eco-friendly-packaging/20491
Hope this helps! For more personalized help, please give us a call at 800.745.8800, ext 2. Our Customer Care team is available Monday through Friday from 6:00AM – 5:00PM PST.
I work at an Indian Takeaway and Dine-In restaurant. While I am enthusiastic about Australia reducing plastics and becoming more environmentally aware and friendly, this new proposed legislation that would ban takeaway plastic containers piqued my interest. Again, while I support the idea, I was curious to see what alternatives I could offer my Boss for the restaurant to serve the takeaway curry in. These seem nice but are not practical for serving foods like curry or soup or any other gravy-type meals that restaurants and businesses use. Is there other alternatives that would better suit this type of food?
Hi Brianna! Awesome question! Containers for hot foods should have high walls, a secure lid (like a tuck top or tab lock), and a food-safe inner coating that can accommodate liquid elements without seeping through the packaging itself. We have a few non-plastic, eco-friendly take out containers that may fit these requirements! Take a peek at our Take Out Boxes & Containers collection here: https://www.papermart.com/i/take-out-food-boxes-containers/19069 . For more personalized help, feel free to give us a call at 800.745.8800, ext. 2.
Looking for non plastic parcel container for chain restaurant.
Hi Anil! Thanks for your interest in our containers! Our team would love to help. Please contact us directly at 800.745.8800, ext. 2.
Thank you for sharing this great alternative to plastic packaging. It’s a great help!
Theer are many Common Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Plastic Packaging:
1. Reusable Shopping Bags. Most supermarkets offer plastic bag alternatives today.
2. Choose cardboard boxes over plastic bottles and bags.
3. Switch from disposable diapers to cloth.
4. Eco-Pak White Take-Out Boxes
5. White/Kraft Versa Recycled Handle Bags
Thanks for sharing such beautiful info.
It says there should be a coupon code but I am not seeing it have ribbon in my cart n would love a % off Thanks
Hi Phyllis,
We currently do not have any active promos. For future promotion and deals, please feel free to follow us on facebook and instagram. Thank you!