Sustainable Serving: How to Cut Waste with Eco-Friendly Packaging

"For catering and food businesses, packaging shapes the entire experience - how well the food travels, how customers consume it and what they say about it afterwards. Yet the story doesn't end with the meal itself. What happens to those cups and containers once they've served their purpose is becoming just as much a part of how our industry is defined."

"Across the UK, more and more cafés, caterers and food retailers are rethinking the role of packaging - not just as a means of transport or presentation, but as a way to cut waste, control costs and support a more sustainable future. Where once presentation was key to attracting custom and creating a buzz, now businesses are discovering packaging that looks good, performs well and can be easily recycled - a shift driven as much by innovation as by customer expectation."

"The growing demand for sustainability in food service No kitchen or catering operation runs without waste. Prep waste, food waste and packaging waste all have a significant impact on the environment. Traditional plastics and foils have their place for durability and food safety, but many businesses are now balancing these materials with biodegradable food packaging that can be recycled or composted once it's done its job."

Packaging influences travel, consumption, and customer perception of food in catering and food businesses. End-of-life outcomes for cups and containers increasingly shape industry identity. Cafés, caterers and food retailers are prioritising packaging that reduces waste, controls costs and supports sustainability while still presenting well. Kitchens generate prep, food and packaging waste with significant environmental impact. Businesses balance durable plastics and foils with biodegradable or compostable alternatives. Modern materials like paperboard, bagasse and plant-based plastics provide strength, heat resistance and improved aesthetics. Practical eco-friendly packaging also offers stackability and durability, simplifying service operations.

Read at Business Matters