Advice on packaging selection

We offer advice on packaging selection based on your restaurant's menu, with the aim of creating a unique presentation for your takeaway dishes. Please send us your menu or provide the name of your restaurant and city.

Eco-friendly takeaway packaging – what exactly does the advice involve?

The main knowledge about packaging selection comes from knowing the materials from which it is made. Kraft paper will behave differently than wax-coated kraft paper. Soft sugar cane will have a different effect on grilled pork neck than hard sugar cane.

Contrary to appearances, the quantity and variety of materials used in eco-friendly packaging for the catering industry is enormous. It is a fledgling market in Europe, but with the entry into force of the plastics directive, it is very promising. 

Knowledge of materials and what customers expect allows for the selection of packaging that ensures takeaway food is packaged in the best possible way. 

Takeaway containers and packaging – the specifics of packaging meals in specific materials

Let's start with products related to the Plastics Directive. It covers polystyrene containers commonly known as Menuboxes, disposable plastic cutlery, plastic straws and other single-use plastic containers.

Styrofoam is one of the basic materials that the plastics directive has banned by law. As an alternative, we can use sugar cane, wax-coated kraft paper or containers made of rPET material, which is 100% recyclable.

The first alternative, sugar cane, is suitable for all dishes that are not served with water or sauces. These include salads, raw vegetables, chips and fried meat. These containers are not completely leak-proof, so they should not be used to serve soups, stews and sauce-based dishes.

Wax-coated kraft paper behaves completely differently to sugar cane. It is a material that can be used with any dish, regardless of its state of aggregation or concentration. Thanks to the additional coating, paper containers do not get wet and retain their rigidity. They are ideal for use with sushi.

Wood, on the other hand, is a material that is successfully used for disposable cutlery. These products are simple to manufacture and fulfil their purpose, replacing plastic cutlery in the directive. 

Eco-friendly takeaway packaging – specific examples for different cuisines – paper containers/paper packaging

Specific examples of how to pack takeaway food in paper boxes:

It's very simple. Paper boxes from Pakowanko (a packaging wholesaler) can be used to pack all kinds of takeaway food. It doesn't matter if it's pork neck, soup or any other dish. The wax coating makes them completely resistant to grease, water, oil and other substances that could penetrate the packaging we produce. Paper containers are suitable for packaging dumplings, pancakes, standard chicken with potatoes and salad, or simply bogracs. These are the most versatile paper containers in our entire range.

One of the leaders in this field are cardboard boxes and paper salad containers. Loved by salad bars and ramen restaurants. Available with a paper or milk lid - dedicated to dishes with a temperature above 60 degrees, or a transparent PET lid - dedicated to dishes with a temperature below 60 degrees.

Eco-friendly takeaway packaging – specific examples for different cuisines – sugarcane containers

Eco-friendly catering packaging made of sugar cane is ideal for serving dishes such as:

• grilled chicken with salad and potatoes
• pork neck with vegetables and chips
• rice with vegetables and mushrooms
• all kinds of salads
• dumplings
• pancakes
• burgers with chips
• pasta
• and many others

Please note that sugarcane containers and boxes are not as resistant to soaking as paper containers, which is why we do not serve takeaway meals in sugarcane containers in the form of soups and other watery substances.

The exception to this rule are heat-sealed containers. The material used to manufacture these containers is slightly modified (with bamboo additives), making heat-sealed food containers much more resistant to water, sauces and oil. 

Sugar cane itself is a material that is quite difficult to determine the appropriate use for. That is why it is so important to provide advice on the selection of packaging so that the restaurant or customer is not unpleasantly disappointed.

Eco-friendly takeaway packaging – specific examples for different cuisines – paper containers for sushi

Paper packaging for sushi is a product made from paper with a special coating that prevents the rolls from sticking to the paper and soaking through. The paper, which some people refer to as slippery, is ideal for sushi and catering dishes. It is also used for serving gingerbread, biscuits, cakes and other small confectionery snacks.

Eco-friendly packaging for sushi restaurants is becoming increasingly popular. This type of cuisine is ideal for using paper packaging. 

As standard, each sushi box comes with a transparent window made of biodegradable PET material, so that every buyer of rolls can "eat them" with their eyes first.

Eco-friendly takeaway packaging - specific examples for different cuisines - rPET heat-sealed containers

rPET is a biodegradable and eco-friendly material (produced as recycled PET) used to manufacture sealed containers. It is a cheaper alternative to sugarcane covered with paper. rPET sealed containers are tightly sealed with biodegradable film with a standard length of 250 m.

rPET is an increasingly popular material that is replacing standard PET on the market.

The heat-sealed containers offered by Pakowanka, a packaging wholesaler, are eco-friendly packaging for people who require 100% tightness with the requirement that the food be visible to the customer. This effect cannot be achieved by using paper-covered sugar cane heat seals.

This is a decision that must be made based on what consumers expect. If our customer wants the food to be visible, we should choose rPET heat-sealable containers, but if our customer does not need to see the food inside and is more interested in packaging made from plant-based materials (sugar cane + paper), we should choose sugar cane heat-sealable containers.

Takeaway containers and packaging – the secret to a restaurant's image

Everything presented above is only the first step in selecting eco-friendly packaging for our customers. The second, very important aspect of packaging selection, and in fact the most important one, is the image of serving takeaway meals.

This is a key aspect that we work on at Pakowanko. The most important thing for us is that the restaurateur and the customer experience not only culinary sensations but also visual ones. That is why we promote the use of paper-based stamps and stickers so intensively.

Our favourites are paper containers and sugarcane containers. They give the food a very cool visual effect and deliver the inevitable ecological trend to our customers. 

Takeaway containers and packaging – summary

We invite anyone for whom paper containers or sugar cane packaging is something new to work with us.

It is our role to select the right material to pack takeaway food in the best possible way so that it is safe during transport and at the same time looks great.

Contact:

Email: info@pakowanko.com / +48 795 537 846