9 Sustainable Hospitality Packaging Solutions in 2024
Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with sustainability every single day, with studies indicating that 61% of UK citizens consider it more important than they did a few years ago. This concern extends to hospitality settings, with hospitality packaging being one of the primary channels through which sustainability can be applied.
If your venue requires food and drink packaging, there’s never been a better time to embrace sustainability. We’ve put together this blog to break down nine developments in sustainable hospitality packaging, expanding on how they work, where they can be applied, and why venue staff should utilise them.
1. Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging
Biodegradable and compostable packaging is made from plant-based materials rather than plastics or other synthetics. This means that once thrown away, the packaging will break down naturally rather than hundreds of years like plastic can. Biodegradable food and drink packaging is made of materials like PLA, PHA, Bagasse, and other plant-based compounds.
Biodegradable food and drink packaging can take the form of cups, cutlery, plates, and takeout containers.
2. Edible Packaging
One step beyond biodegradable packaging is edible packaging solutions, which can also extend to utensils. Things like wrappers, spoons, forks, and containers can be made from safe, food-grade materials to be consumed with the food. Edible food and drink packaging eliminates waste when eaten while being biodegradable when said customer is full!
Edible packaging is made from ingredients like seaweed, rice paper, and wheat flour – seasoned to ensure palatability.
3. Reusable Packaging
Reusable packaging is becoming more prevalent in the food and beverage industry. An increasingly common phenomenon in hospitality settings is cafes and coffee shops embracing reusable cup schemes, with some even offering discounts for customers who use them. These reduce both the waste and production of single-use items
Cups, bottles, and cutlery can be made reusable with materials like stainless steel, glass, silicone, and BPA-free plastics.
4. Recycled & Recyclable Packaging
Recyclable packaging has been a pillar in many consumer industries for years, but recently, establishments have embraced already recycled packaging. This means taking pre-consumed paper, cardboard, plastic, and aluminium to create hospitality packaging, rather than demanding new raw materials.
It’s worth noting that recycled materials can go beyond packaging alone, with some hospitality settings using them for menus, semi-permanent food containers, and more.
5. Minimalist Packaging
Minimalist packaging is a development across hospitality settings and consumer products, encompassing food and cosmetics alike. The principle of minimalist hospitality packaging is to minimize the amount of packaging – wrapping or housing products in packaging they need and nothing more, eliminating any unnecessary elements, such as boxes within boxes and things of the sort.
Embracing minimalist packaging has multiple benefits beyond sustainability, also aligning with modern design trends of “less is more”.
6. Eco-friendly Inks and Labels
Sustainable hospitality packaging isn’t all about the materials used for boxes, wrappers, or cutlery – it’s also about the substances used to impart product details and branding – which is where eco-friendly, plant-based inks come into play. These align well with the pursuit of biodegradability and recyclability, as the inks are less harmful to the environment when they break down.
Eco-friendly inks and labels can be used on the literal packaging of food and drink products and are applicable on items like menus or marketing materials.
7. Bulk Dispensing Systems
Bulk and reusable dispensers are a great way to reduce the environmental footprint of fast-food establishments, cafes, and hotels. This solution sidesteps the need for hospitality packaging altogether, allowing customers to serve themselves condiments, beverages, and personal care products – eliminating the need for countless single-serve packages.
This decision increases sustainability and provides customers with the USP of autonomy – letting them take ketchup, cola, and lotion at their leisure will improve their experience!
8. Innovative Multi-Use Packaging Designs
Sustainability can take creative forms, with innovation in hospitality packaging becoming increasingly commonplace. What we mean by innovative multi-use packaging is packaging items that can double as more useful items – for example, you could have a takeaway box that becomes a plate or for an increased sustainable kick, plantable paper packaging.
These sorts of creative designs encourage further use from packaging items, while also reducing the need for additional items that could add to waste.
9. Upcycled Packaging
Upcycled hospitality packaging is made from materials repurposed from waste products, taking the concept of recycling to the next level! This reduces waste by directly taking on the problem, using materials from landfills, and reducing the need for virgin material usage. Waste materials can be made into cups, containers, and classic wrappers.
A way to do this even more effectively is by creating your own packaging from the waste product of your business, such as utilising coffee husks and brewery grains.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of different ways that you can incorporate sustainability into your hospitality packaging techniques. From encouraging reuse and refill schemes to upcycling your business’s waste into new packages, hospitality owners can decrease their waste, reduce their environmental footprints, and meet consumer demands in a variety of ways.
Where to Source Sustainable Hospitality Packaging?
If you want to enhance your sustainability through packaging, look no further than Responsible Packaging Expo. This trade show and industry conference is dedicated to connecting hospitality professionals with modern, sustainable packaging solutions for their venues. Visitors can expect to be greeted by hundreds of businesses exhibiting their products, an impressive lineup of industry seminars, and thousands of their peers.
It’s the perfect place to engage with this thrilling avenue of the industry, and maybe even get a deal on some exciting new solutions. Register for free tickets today!
