Comparison of sustainable food service packaging: paper, bagasse or edible disposable packaging?

Do you need a suitable alternative to conventional food service packaging for your restaurant or snack bar? Wondering what the difference is between bagasse and paper packaging? Have you stumbled across different coatings and are unsure whether edible to-go packaging is an option? We have compared food service packaging for you and compared sustainable disposable food service packaging made of paper, bagasse and grain-based edible food service packaging alongside petroleum-based food service packaging made of foam.

Why should we choose sustainable food service packaging?

Many conventional plastic food service packagings are now banned. The question now is which is the best and most sustainable to-go packaging for your food service business? Sustainable food service packaging is designed to have as little impact on the environment as possible. This is achieved by using materials that are either biodegradable, recyclable or made from renewable raw materials. With the help of sustainable food service packaging, we can minimize the negative impact on the environment while ensuring the functionality of conventional packaging. We will introduce you to the most common food service packaging, give you an insight into the differences between PE and starch-based coatings and tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of packaging.

Environmental impact of traditional foodservice packaging

Traditional foodservice packaging, often made of plastic or Styrofoam, has a significant environmental impact. They take centuries to break down and contribute to land and ocean pollution. Microplastics, which result from the decomposition of this packaging, are now found throughout the food chain and endanger both the environment and the health of living creatures. These are all well-known facts. This is why the EU's single-use plastic ban finally prohibited the use of conventional food service packaging in 2021. If you want to find out more about this topic, you can read the article Ban on single-use plastic in 2021, where we take a closer look at the law.

In a nutshell: The single-use plastic ban 2021 aims to reduce the production and use of environmentally harmful plastic products, especially for packaging that is only used once. Since July 3, 2021, the production of certain single-use plastic products, such as cutlery, drinking straws and polystyrene packaging, has been banned in the EU with the aim of combating resource scarcity and curbing pollution of the environment, especially the oceans.

Foam vs paper, bagasse or edible to-go packaging in the food service industry

Conventional food service packaging made from foam

Foam, particularly petroleum-based expanded polystyrene (EPS), has been a commonly used material for disposable foodservice packaging. It is lightweight, insulates well and offers high stability. Despite the ban on single-use plastic, there are still some businesses in the food service industry that use foam packaging and use up their stocks. As polystyrene is a very inexpensive raw material and has good insulating properties for both cold and hot food, it was a very popular material for food service packaging. However, the disadvantages of disposable foam packaging are obvious: foam is not biodegradable and is difficult to recycle. Foam is often disposed of in residual waste and then incinerated, thus actively contributing to environmental pollution. Since the single-use plastic ban, foam packaging can no longer be used in the EU and food service businesses have to look for alternatives.

Food service packaging made from paper or cardboard

Paper and cardboard are probably the best-known recyclable materials. Paper and cardboard are made of cellulose and are therefore highly recyclable and biodegradable. The use of cellulose as a packaging material is widespread, as paper can be used flexibly for various packaging shapes and sizes and is highly available as a raw material. Food service packaging made of paper or cardboard is often coated to improve its functionality, in particular to make it water or grease repellent. Without a coating, food service packaging made of paper or cardboard usually has a lower strength and little protection against moisture.

The paper used for food service packaging consists mainly of cellulose, which is obtained from trees. Recycled paper is also often used. However, as the fibers of the paper are getting shorter and shorter due to recycling, a portion will always consist of "fresh" wood fibers in order to ensure the stability of the disposable paper packaging. The wood for paper production usually comes from sustainable forestry (e.g. FSC, PEFC) and is used as a raw material. Fast-growing tree species such as spruce, pine, poplar or eucalyptus are preferred. The finished paper is processed into packaging and printed or coated as required.

In order to assess the sustainability of food service packaging made of paper or cardboard, the type of coating must also be taken into account. We differentiate here between two of the most common coatings: Petroleum-based plastic, or PE (polyethylene) for short, and a starch-based coating.

1. plastic coating PE (polyethylene)

The PE coating provides an effective barrier against moisture and grease, making it particularly suitable for packaging hot and greasy foods. The material is heat resistant and retains its structural integrity even at high temperatures, making it ideal for use in the food service industry. On the other hand, the environmental impact of PE-coated disposable tableware is significant. As PE is based on fossil fuels, its production is associated with high energy consumption and high greenhouse gas emissions. Another disadvantage is the poor biodegradability of PE. Disposable products coated with polyethylene often end up in landfills or in the environment, where they remain for decades or even centuries without decomposing. In addition, the PE coating hinders the recyclability of paper, as the plastic has to be separated from the paper fiber, which requires a complex process.

2. starch-based coating

Starch-based coatings are based on natural, renewable raw materials such as corn or potato starch. They are biodegradable and therefore represent a more sustainable alternative to previous petroleum-based coatings. Starch-based coatings offer a comparable barrier against moisture and grease as PE coatings and are also not inferior in terms of heat resistance. As starch-based coatings are made from renewable raw materials, they help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Starch-based coatings can be separated from the paper in the recycling process so that the materials can be reused. In addition, the biodegradability of these materials ensures that they would decompose more quickly in nature if they were not disposed of properly. Properly disposed of in industrial composting plants, starch-based coatings decompose comparatively quickly.

To-go packaging made from bagasse

Bagasse is a by-product of sugar cane processing. It is the fibrous residue left over after the sugar juice has been extracted and is increasingly being used for sustainable to-go packaging. Bagasse is biodegradable and has a high heat resistance. The fact that bagasse is an agricultural waste product reduces the environmental impact. The processing of the waste product into high-quality and food-safe to-go packaging is more complex than the production of food service packaging made of paper, for example. Bagasse is one of the newer sustainable packaging materials on the market and is therefore not yet widely available.

Edible food service packaging

Edible packaging materials are made from algae, rice, wheat or potatoes, for example, and can be consumed after use. Edible food service packaging can be biodegraded and does not represent additional waste. They can give your restaurant a sustainable image and create awareness for the use of packaging materials. Edible packaging materials are limited in their shelf life, especially when it comes to heat resistance, and are therefore not suitable for every type of food. In addition, the supply of edible packaging materials is still very limited and expensive to produce.

Sustainable food service packaging at a glance

	Foam	Bagasse	Edible packaging	Paper or cardboard with PE coating	Paper or cardboard with starch-based coating
Materials/raw materials	Expanded polystyrene (EPS) based on petroleum	sugar cane	Algae, rice, wheat or potatoes	Cellulose from wood with a coating of polyethylene based on fossil fuels	Cellulose made from wood with a coating made from corn or potato starch, for example
Regional availability of raw materials	Not regionally available	Slightly regionally available	regionally available	regionally available	regionally available
Biodegradability	poor	good	good	medium	good
Recyclability	poor	good	good	average	good
Stability/protection against moisture	high	medium	low	high	high
Heat resistance	high	medium	medium	high	high
price	low	high	high	low	medium

Which food service packaging is right for which restaurant?

As a restaurateur, you must of course decide individually which sustainable food service packaging is the right choice for your business. The various disposable packaging materials offer different advantages that must be weighted differently depending on the business.

For example, if you run a small ice cream parlor with a regular clientele that is always loyal despite price changes and you strive for a zero-waste image, which you also communicate to your customers, then it makes sense to use edible disposable cups instead of plastic cups so that, in the best case, no waste is produced after distortion.

If you run a snack bar with a lot of walk-in customers in a busy area of your city and your customers attach great importance to sustainable materials with high recyclability, you can offer disposable packaging made from bagasse.

As the operator of a restaurant with many different dishes, you are dependent on flexible packaging sizes. If you want to offer your customers food at the same time without having to charge extra for the packaging, gastro packaging made of paper or cardboard is a good sustainable and, above all, cost-effective alternative to conventional gastro packaging made of foam. It is important to ensure that your paper packaging has a starch coating, otherwise it will not be plastic-free.

There is nothing suitable for your catering business and you are looking for a long-term reusable option? Perhaps our comparison of the various reusable systems will help you.

Our recommendation

One thing is clear, each disposable packaging has specific advantages and disadvantages. While foam was convincing due to its cost efficiency and good insulating properties, it is very problematic from an ecological point of view and is also no longer permitted due to the 2021 ban on single-use plastics. Bagasse offers a better environmental balance, but has challenges in terms of availability. Edible packaging is a promising solution, but is not yet widely used due to its high cost and low market maturity. The various alternatives differ significantly in price and the most cost-effective option is clearly disposable paper packaging. We recommend using a starch-based coating, as this is significantly more sustainable than a PE coating.

Photo: Unsplash