How sustainable food packaging is evolving in foodservice: trends, challenges and solutions

In recent years, sustainability has become a key topic in the food industry, especially in foodservice. Pressure is coming from younger generations, who expect more ethical and responsible choices, even when ordering a coffee or a sandwich. 

According to Mintel, in the UK, interest in ethical and environmental credentials has increased by 6 and 5 percentage points respectively, even surpassing traditional criteria like health and food quality. For people aged 16 to 34, these factors are far more important than for older generations. 

Sustainable packaging plays a central role in this shift. But it faces a tough challenge: reducing environmental impact without compromising hygiene, food safety or functionality. At the same time, it must keep up with fast-changing consumer habits, new materials and emerging technologies. 

Innovative materials in sustainable packaging 

Bioplastics are becoming more common. They are made from renewable sources like corn starch or sugarcane and are often biodegradable. However, not all are compostable, and their recyclability depends on how local waste systems are set up. 

Compostable materials are also gaining attention. In Germany, 78% of consumers see packaging waste reduction as a key sustainability action. Yet 46% say they don’t know how to properly dispose of compostable materials. Wish-cycling—throwing packaging into the recycling bin in the hope that it will be recycled—is still widespread, even when it's not effective. 

Some solutions are even more experimental. Edible packaging, made from algae or natural proteins, has strong potential to reduce waste but is still limited to niche applications due to regulatory and shelf-life challenges. 

Alternative materials like algae and mycelium (the root-like structure of fungi) are also emerging. According to Mintel – 2025 global packaging trends, these materials combine biodegradability with practical use, especially for takeaway and disposable formats. 

Emerging trends and new technologies 

Reusable packaging is gaining traction in foodservice. In many cities, cafés and restaurants are offering containers that customers can return. One good example is Isla Coffee in Berlin. This zero-waste café, located in Neukölln, has created reusable cups made from recycled coffee grounds and wood, in partnership with the startup Kaffeeform. The café also repurposes leftover milk to make homemade ricotta and uses only seasonal ingredients. 

Technology is also helping. Domino’s has added QR codes on its pizza boxes that give recycling information based on your location. In Italy, the Junker app lets users scan a barcode to find out how to sort and recycle each part of the packaging. 

Innovation is also happening in bioplastics made from food waste or by-products. These materials reduce reliance on purpose-grown crops and fit well within a circular economy. 

Industry challenges 

Despite these innovations, there are still challenges. Sustainable materials are more expensive to produce than conventional plastic, which can be a barrier for small and medium-sized businesses. 

There’s also cultural resistance. While many consumers ask for sustainability, 34% of German consumers who don't prioritize it say the main reason is cost. Another 23% say it's because truly green options are not widely available. 

The lack of infrastructure for composting or recycling makes it even harder. Without the right systems, many compostable materials end up incinerated or in landfills, which cancels out their environmental benefits. 

Opportunities and competitive advantages 

Still, investing in sustainable packaging can pay off. In the UK, 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for ethically sourced coffee. In Germany, 57% of foodservice customers say they would like dishes that help them eat more vegetables. 

Brands that adopt transparent, credible sustainability strategies stand out more and tend to build stronger customer loyalty, especially among gen Z and millennials. In addition, many governments offer tax incentives or grants for switching to more sustainable packaging options. 

Case studies of success 

Wahaca, a UK restaurant chain, was one of the first to show carbon labels on its menu. Today, 60% of its dishes are vegetarian. Green King has also partnered with Zero Carbon Forum to provide a free carbon calculator for its restaurant partners. 

In Switzerland, Beelong created the eco-score, a system that evaluates a dish’s environmental impact based on CO₂ emissions, farming practices, and transportation. The Swiss retailer Coop has applied this score to over 2,000 private label products. 

In Berlin, the restaurant Frea is built around a fully circular approach. It composts all food waste in-house and sends it back to the farms it buys from, showing that circularity can be both practical and economically sustainable. 

Future outlook for sustainable packaging 

In the coming years, sustainable packaging will benefit from new materials and smarter systems. Innovations like natural antimicrobial films and carbon-negative bioplastics made from captured CO₂ are already moving from lab to market. 

But innovation alone isn’t enough. Collaboration between companies, public institutions and consumers will be key to make sustainable packaging the norm. Clear labels, modern infrastructure and shared values will help speed up this transition. 

Fonti 

• Mintel – Sustainability in Foodservice: Consumer Attitudes and Innovation, presentazione a SIGEP 2025, a cura di Ofeli Boucher 
• Mintel – 2025 Global Packaging Trends: Packaging in Perspective 
• Isla Coffee, https://islacoffee.de 
• Beelong, https://beelong.ch/en