Eco-friendly packaging in a catering establishment instead of plastic - a change for the better!

2021-08-20

Nowadays we hear the slogan "ecology" practically from everywhere. One could say that better late than later, because for many years a "large" amount of plastic and other plastics have accumulated in the environment, threatening both us and our planet, and mankind has done absolutely nothing about this fact. Fortunately, the trend toward being eco has been noticeable for some time now. This is no different for restaurants, food trucks, bars, pubs and other catering establishments, as this is where we can increasingly find natural catering packaging, which effectively replaces traditional plastic products. But how exactly is it with them? Is it worth betting on eco catering packaging? About this in the rest of the post - we invite you to delve into the reading!

Packaging for catering - ubiquitous plastic

We now live in a world of ubiquitous plastic - it's impossible to find a place where, on a longer walk, you won't come across at least a few pieces of trash abandoned to themselves. Therefore - if the aforementioned walking inconveniences make our lives miserable, and the planet is not indifferent to us, it is worth changing our habits today. Plastic, because we will talk about it in a moment, is produced and used in countless quantities every day. One of the industries where we encounter plastic products on a daily basis is, unfortunately, still catering.

The best examples of this are cutlery, cups, utensils or disposable food service packaging. These, most often serving customers "at once," land after a few moments in the trash pail or worse - on lawns or even sidewalks. We do not need to tell at this point what consequences this brings...

Plastic catering take-out packaging and other items are destroying our planet, which faces the prospect of thousands of years of coexistence with decaying plastic.

Disposable packaging for catering - how about a big STOP to plastic?

Fortunately - for us and our environment - an increasing number of restaurants and other catering outlets are phasing out plastic cutlery, dishes, cups or catering boxes from their offerings. The deliberate choice of eco-friendly solutions is, it might seem, a small step towards protecting nature. From the perspective of one person - it may be small, but above all conscious, and if applied by the right number of people - it will significantly affect the environment around us.

Besides - if one establishment changes its habits, there is a good chance that more restaurants, food trucks or bars will change their habits. And if all catering establishments, following this trend, change the way they serve food to fully ecological - it will be a "worthwhile" fight.

Packaging for gastronomy - changing habits not only inside the premises

At this point, it is worth noting an important correlation - by choosing ecological catering boxes, not only the owners of a given establishment will perhaps take care of protecting our planet. Consumers increasingly pay attention to what they eat and in what they eat, more willingly choosing establishments where they can eat in an ecological way. However, the aforementioned dependence can work the other way - less conscious customers, influenced by the observation of existing eco-trends, will perhaps think about their habits, changing them under our indirect influence.

A simple example might be delivery - if a customer has the option to choose a gastronomic takeaway package that is made of paper instead of plastic, for example, there is a high probability that they will choose an "eco" solution. And who knows, maybe from that his conscious choice will start and he will already bet on natural substitutes - not only for food, but also for other everyday items.

Food service packaging made of natural materials instead of plastic - what plastic instead of plastic?

If you have already decided to make a difference in the life of your establishment, it is worth learning a little more about eco-friendly foodservice products. Until recently, the most popular substitute for plastic was paper and wood. It was from this material that we could find cutlery, cups and utensils, among others, in restaurants and other establishments. Today the market is so developed that paper packaging for catering is only one of many eco solutions. Recently, accessories made from sugar cane or PLA have also become very popular.

Eco disposable packaging for catering - check out why it's worth it!

Coming to the crux of the article, that is, why you should choose natural catering packaging, we will focus on the properties of individual products made of the above-mentioned eco materials. There is a lot to choose from, which can make your head spin - but regardless of what the eco-friendly disposables for catering will be made of, they are all definitely a better option than plastic.

Paper packaging for catering
For an "appetizer", let's take a look at the most common of the eco-substitutes, namely paper takeaway packaging for catering. These are products that perform well all year round, hence they are extremely often recommended as takeaway packaging. Paper packaging provides very good thermal insulation - thanks to it, food retains its temperature for a longer time. Such a solution is particularly liked by customers who like to take a meal to go and consume it outdoors or at home. The most common products are eco burger wrappers.

When it comes to paper products, it's not just resealable packaging that is making a big splash in food establishments. Going to a restaurant, food truck or any other point where takeaway food such as casseroles or fries is served, we can meet, among others, paper plates and trays. Such products are also worth using at home, for example, for outdoor events.

Disposable packaging for catering from sugar cane
Another raw material from which catering boxes are made is sugar cane. This is a material that, like paper, provides containers with great thermal properties. These boxes are also characterized by resistance to extreme temperatures - starting from very low (-15°C) and ending with extremely high (+220°C). This makes them ideal for transporting both cold and hot dishes. What's more, customers will appreciate the fact that they can be easily placed in the oven or freezer.

On SlowPack's website you will find gastronomic takeaway packaging made of sugarcane, which are, of course, fully biodegradable and compostable - unlike plastic containers they will decompose not in a thousand years, but literally a few moments looking at the planet, as in a few weeks. Examples of such packaging are the menuboxes or burger boxes we offer.

Takeaway packaging - foodservice is increasingly turning to PLA
For those who find it hard to imagine replacing plastic with an eco-friendly substitute, we have good information - PLA! This is...a bioplastic that is getting more and more talked about every year. It is a plastic that is confusingly similar to traditional plastic - the main difference, of course, is its ability to decompose into organic compounds!

Cutlery, crockery or catering packaging made of PLA is 100% biodegradable, making it harmless to the planet, the environment, as well as our health. Used packaging is industrially composted or recycled. Thanks to these methods, the products are completely decomposed, resulting in the production of water, as well as CO2. Products made of polylactide most often work well for cooler foods and drinks. They are resistant to moderate temperatures (up to a maximum of 40°C). In addition to food packaging, bowls or dessert containers, among others, are very popular. However, if you need to maintain the properties of plastic and resistance to elevated temperatures - we have a solution for you - products made of CPLA, or PLA, which can withstand temperatures up to 85°C.

If you want to read more about PLA, read one of our previous posts available here: polylactide (PLA) - a bioplastic worth using!

And if, in turn, you want to make changes in your premises that will help the planet, take advantage of the wide range of SlowPack store and wholesaler. You will find not only eco-friendly packaging, but also biodegradable cutlery, eco cups, natural utensils and much more - welcome!