An Analysis of the 2025 Single-Use Plastic To-Go Lunch Box Ban

• Europe

  • 50% reduction target by end of 2025
  • 25% recycled material requirement
  • EN 13432 certification required

  Key countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain

  The Single-Use Plastics Directive was first introduced by the European Union in 2021, but it will be significantly expanded in 2025, especially for food service items like the to-go lunch box. By the end of this year, the EU plans to have cut the total amount of single-use plastics in half and mandate that some containers contain at least 25% recycled material.

   

  Countries that have already banned plastic to-go lunch boxes in favor of biodegradable ones, like France and Germany, are leading the way. New regulations under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation will forbid the use of single-use plastic wraps and films for grouping items, with implementation starting in 2025.

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• North America

  • 12+ states with EPS foam bans
  • ASTM D6400 certification required
  • Canada-wide ban by December 2025

  Key states: California, New York, Oregon, Delaware

   

  State by state, plastic prohibitions on to-go lunch boxes are being implemented in the US, resulting in a hodgepodge of laws that pose a challenge to national producers. In 2024, California and New York took the lead in banning single-use foam plastic lunchboxes for takeout, with full enforcement in 2025.

   

  The Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations in Canada will prohibit non-recyclable plastic to-go lunch boxes nationwide beginning in 2025. Over the next ten years, an estimated 1.3 million tons of plastic garbage will be eliminated when the production, importation, and exportation of such items are completely banned by December 2025.

   

• Asia

  • 30% reduction target in China
  • Foam lunchbox ban in India
  • Local material promotion

  Key countries: China, India, Thailand, Vietnam

  Asia's plastic bans are accelerating, with China at the helm through its updated "Plastic Restriction Order." By 2025, cities like Beijing and Shanghai mandate biodegradable materials for the to-go lunch box in the catering sector, reducing non-degradable single-use items by 30% in takeout services.

   

  India is amending its food packaging laws in March 2025 to forbid some single-use items, such as foam lunchboxes for taking on the go. Vietnam and Thailand are also enforcing stricter regulations, with Thailand encouraging banana leaf substitutes and Indonesia promoting recycled content through extended producer responsibility legislation.

Impact on the Export Market

Exporters face stricter barriers, with Europe and America requiring EN 13432 or ASTM D6400 certifications for the to-go lunch box. Non-compliant products risk rejection, as seen in recent order cancellations from non-certified suppliers.

On the flip side, certified to-go lunch boxes open new markets, with companies leveraging these standards to forge international deals. The economic trade-offs include job shifts in manufacturing but overall growth in sustainable sectors.