Food Service Packaging Materials: Options And Types

5 min readJul 5, 2022

From storage to eco-friendly options for take-out, you’ll use a variety of restaurant packaging supplies in your daily operations. Let’s take a closer look at the types of food packaging materials and some great options for food packaging and storage.

Types Of Food Packaging Materials

Restaurants have many different food packaging materials to choose from, including:

Glass: People have been using glass for food storage since at least 3000 BC. It’s impermeable and helps maintain freshness without impacting flavor. However, glass is an expensive option for take-out packaging and is prone to breakage.
Paper and paperboards: An eco-friendly option for food packaging. However, paper and paperboard are not heat-sealable and only ideal as temporary packaging.
Plastic: A common food packaging material known for its durability and lightweight. Plastics may also be recycled, but they can occasionally affect the flavor of the food.
Metals: Foils and tins are popular choices for take-out packaging and storage. They offer excellent protection and are lightweight and affordable.
Bamboo: A popular option for sustainable food packaging. Bamboo is durable, natural, renewable, and biodegradable.

You may also find other packaging materials out there, but these are the most common and popular.

With these materials in mind, let’s look at some of the top eco-friendly restaurant packaging options and the best packaging for storage.

4 Best Eco-Friendly Restaurant Packaging

Today, restaurant owners can choose from a wide range of eco-friendly food packaging materials. These include:

1. Paper Shopping Bags

Paper bags are durable and allow for quick and easy transport of food items. They’re eco-friendly because they’re recyclable or even compostable. Customers may also choose to reuse these bags for other purposes, which helps keep them out of landfills.

We have several disposable paper bag options in a variety of sizes to meet your needs.

2. Fiber and Paper TakeOut Containers

If you’re looking for biodegradable food packaging materials, fiber and paper are great options. There are several plant-based fibers that offer durability and strength while acting as effective barriers to keep food fresh.

Our collection of fiber and paper trays includes:

Bagasse (sugar pulp) take out containers with and without compartments and in different sizes.
Bamboo trays
Palm leaf trays
Wood-based packaging
Kraft paper containers

3. Paper Straws

Plastic straws can make their way into waterways and can be harmful to marine life. Paper straws are a great alternative. They’re biodegradable and some are recyclable. Designs have come a long way, making them more user-friendly.

We offer several different types of paper straws, including:

Kraft paper
Reed straws
Striped and colored paper options
Wheat straws
PLA straws

You’ll find both regular, giant and jumbo sizes for most options.

4. Plant-Based Cutlery

If your restaurant takeout packaging also includes utensils, consider plant-based fiber options. Cutlery made from fiber is biodegradable and just as durable as its plastic counterparts.

We have several plant-based cutlery options, including those derived from:

Corn
Bamboo
Cellulose
CPLA
Sugarcane
PLA

Our biodegradable cutlery kits are packaged in kraft paper bags, which are also eco-friendly.

4 Top Restaurant Food Packaging Products for Storage

Along with take out packaging, you may also need restaurant packaging supply for storage purposes. You may be shipping items to a warehouse or storing them for later use.

While there are many types of packaging products for this purpose, the top four used by restaurants are:

1. Tape

Whether you need to seal boxes or bags, tape is an essential item that every restaurant should have on hand.

While it may not be the most exciting packaging supply, you’ll find a variety of tapes to meet your needs, including:

Bag tape
Masking tape
Clear tape
Tape guns

We offer a variety of tape options, including:

SafePro 2-inch clear tape, which is ideal for sealing packages and is compatible with most tape dispensers.
Bag tape in a variety of colors, including green, white, black, red, orange and yellow. This tape is made with flexible polyethylene and uses a sticky synthetic rubber resin adhesive. It is ideal for sealing poly bags.
SafePro 2-inch tape gun made in China or Italy. This tape gun is compatible with most 2” tape rolls and features a durable construction. It’s ideal for sealing paper-wrapped products or preparing boxes for shipment.
SafePro MAST masking tape, which is ideal for securing table coverings, labels and more.
SafePro BAGM bag taper, which is designed for sealing plastic bags.

Most restaurants find that they need a variety of different tapes to meet their packaging needs.

2. Rubber Bands

Foodservice businesses use rubber bands for a wide range of purposes:

Packaging fresh ingredients
Wrapping items in paper or plastic bags
Keeping the kitchen organized
For protective packaging
To keep food items and utensils together securely

We offer rubber bands in a variety of sizes to meet your needs, including:

3. Pallet Wrap

For wrapping in bulk for transport or storage, pallet wrap is an excellent option. Flexible and durable, pallet wrap will keep your items safe and secure.

We offer a few options for pallet wrap:

SafePro 18” 70-gauge wrap, which is exceptionally stretchy and flexible. This wrap can be used with loads up to 1600 pounds.
SafePro 18”80-gauge black pallet wrap, which is tear-resistant and offers high tensile strength. The black color conceals the container’s contents. This wrap can be used with loads up to 2200 pounds.

4. Twine

Twine is a staple in most food service businesses. It can be used to secure items, keep things organized, and more.

We offer a few options for twine:

SafePro ETW Exxon Twine, which is made from polypropylene.
Tyger Twine, which has 325-lb tensile strength.

Final Thoughts

Every business in the foodservice industry will need food and storage packaging supplies. These items are necessary to keep products fresh, secure, and safe for transport.

Source: https://mcdonaldpaper.com/blog/food-service-packaging-materials