A Complete Analysis Of Plastic Food Packaging Box Types

Material Characteristics, Environmental Performance, and Industry Trends

3 Compartment Hinged Lid Container As the core consumables of modern catering, disposable lunch boxes are becoming increasingly concerned about the choice of materials as global plastic restriction policies become stricter (such as China's "plastic ban" in 2020), because the material directly affects food safety, environmental compliance, and user experience in the context of the surge in demand for environmentally friendly lunch boxes. This article will systematically analyze the material characteristics, applicable scenarios, and market prospects of 7 major types of lunch boxes to help companies accurately match customer needs.

(polypropylene)

As a mainstream material for plastic food packaging boxes, PP material is temperature-resistant from -6℃ to 120℃, and is suitable for microwave heating, easy to carry, low cost and good sealing, accounting for 70% of the takeaway market; many office workers and students like to choose PP takeaway packaging boxes, which are suitable for microwave heating again. And it is healthy, non-toxic, and resistant to high temperatures. PP lunch boxes can also be made in different colors and shapes to meet the needs of different customers.

(polystyrene)

Compared with PP material, PS material has more limitations. First of all, it has good low-temperature resistance and is easy to tear. It is not resistant to high temperatures, softens above 75℃, and is mostly used for ice cream packaging. It cannot be used in microwave ovens, so food that needs to be heated in microwaves is not suitable for PS lunch boxes.

As the preferred material for environmentally friendly materials, wood pulp cardboard + laminating anti-seepage technology has the advantage of making the lunch box look textured and advanced. The disadvantage is that it is expensive (about 0.35 yuan/piece), and the tree consumption is large (1 ton of pulp = 300 cubic meters of wood), and the load-bearing effect is weak, which is not as good as the load-bearing effect of plastic disposable food boxes. It is not suitable for some heavier food packaging.

Subdivision types: Kraft paper box (tear resistance), white cardboard box (high printing adaptability), corrugated paper box (strong cushioning, mostly used for pizza). At present, these types of materials are basically used in large quantities. Become the first choice for environmentally friendly materials. But these materials are mainly suitable for packaging some foods without soup.

plastic food packaging box

Polypropylene material, because it releases bisphenol A above 65°C, which is not good for human health, has been banned in many countries. However, it is still in circulation in some markets. Perhaps in the near future, as people pay more and more attention to health and environmental protection, this material will be gradually eliminated and replaced by other materials.

As the preferred material for mainstream environmentally friendly degradable lunch boxes, in addition to pulp, another major category is materials with corn/potato starch + plant fiber as raw materials. This material can be completely decomposed into CO₂ and water, allowing the material to fully degrade, which is environmentally friendly and will not cause pollution. However, this material also has disadvantages, that is, the anti-mildew technology is immature, and the food consumption is large.
Another feature is that the cost of biodegradable lunch boxes is 40%~50% higher than that of plastic, which makes the market acceptance low and difficult to form large-scale production. Because it is a disposable product, it is discarded after one use, and many customers do not want to incur too much cost on it.

Another environmentally friendly lunch box is made of agricultural waste such as straw and sugarcane bagasse. This type of lunch box material degrades quickly and is renewable, but its disadvantages are a rough appearance (unbleached) and limited production capacity. The production cost is too high, the lunch box is not waterproof, and food at high temperatures and soup will become soft, making it inconvenient to carry.

This material usually uses PLA or PBAT, with additional photosensitizers or starch added, which will fragment within 3 months (visual "degradation"), but microplastics will remain; PLA material has not been widely used and mass-produced in China. One is that the cost is too high, and the other is that it does not meet the real testing standards.
Most products on the market do not meet the full degradation standards, and many fake PLA materials cannot provide certification testing standards. When purchasing PLA products, you must look for QB/T 4012-2010 certification. In addition, the export cost of PLA products is high. As a result, many customers and suppliers dare not invest.

PP plastic box is the first choice: due to the stable characteristics of PP disposable food box materials, it can be sealed and leak-proof, and it is resistant to high temperature and microwaveable, making it the preferred material for many suppliers and customers.
Thickened coated kraft paper box is the second choice. As mentioned above, this material is degradable but consumes a lot of wood. And the load-bearing capacity of this lunch box is not as good as that of a PP lunch box. Therefore, the application range of this material lunch box is not as wide as that of the PP plastic lunch box.

PS box: PS material lunch box has low temperature resistance and good resistance to -18℃. And it is highly transparent and beautiful. Many cold chain foods, such as ice cream, choose this material for packaging.
Starch-based lunch box: The lunch box with starch-based materials can be refrigerated, but because it is easy to mold, it should be used with caution to package soup ingredients. The application scenarios are relatively limited, and it is necessary to pay attention to the impact of mold hygiene on the human body.

Food Container Storage Eco-Friendly

White cardboard box: Different patterns can be printed, and the logo can be customized according to customer needs. A good printing effect can help customers enhance the brand effect.
Tin foil packaging: Tin foil lunch boxes are mainly used in barbecue scenes. They have strong heat preservation and can be directly heated by open flames. They have strong barrier properties and can be used to heat food and isolate food from contamination, such as charcoal fire. They are highly plastic and can be made into lunch boxes of different shapes and types.

Safety identification: When consumers choose plastic food packaging boxes, they should first check whether there is a QS mark. The transparency can show the difference in materials. In addition, smell whether there is a pungent smell, so that lunch boxes made of recycled materials can be excluded.
Experimental method: In addition, you can test it through the experimental method. Tear up the lunch box and soak it in water → sink to the bottom = contain talcum powder (inferior quality); iodine solution test → turn blue = contain starch (really environmentally friendly).

Compliance priority: ban foam lunch boxes and switch to PLA/PP recyclable materials;
Cost balance: mixed material solutions (such as PP box body + PS cover) reduce costs by 30%;
Environmental marketing: highlight the concept of "carbon neutral lunch box" (such as a plant fiber box carbon footprint reduced by 50%).

Policy drive: The market penetration rate of degradable lunch boxes may exceed 35% in 2025 (China Plastics Association data);
Technological breakthrough: Straw fiber mildew prevention technology and seaweed-based lunch boxes may become new directions.

The iteration of disposable lunch boxes is essentially a triangular game of safety, cost, and environmental protection. In the short term, PP/paper boxes will still dominate, but biodegradable materials will gradually become popular as technology matures and policies are strengthened. It is recommended that manufacturers deploy mixed material solutions and strengthen supply chain certification (such as FSC forest paper and food-grade PP) to seize the incremental market with green competitiveness.

To Go Boxes For Food

Take Out Container Wholesale If you are looking for high-quality, eco-friendly disposable lunch boxes, look for Huizhou Yangrui Printing and Packaging Co., Ltd., specializing in PP, PET, paper, and biodegradable food containers, including PLA and bagasse lunch boxes. The company is known for its export experience, customized OEM/ODM services, and certifications such as ISO9001 and FDA.

Website: https://www.packagingbag5.com/
Email: sales@packagingbag5.com
Tel: +86 180 8644 3226

China Plastics Association. (2024). Market Penetration Rate of Degradable Lunch Boxes Forecast 2025 Report.
QB/T 4012-2010. General technical requirements for biodegradable food packaging materials.
China's National Development and Reform Commission. (2020). Plastic Ban Policy Guidelines.
Liu, X. et al. (2023). "Evaluation of Biodegradable Packaging Material Performance in Catering Applications." Journal of Environmental Packaging, 18(2), 97–110.
Wang, H. & Zhang, L. (2022). "Sustainable Food Packaging: From Material to Market." Green Materials & Packaging, 7(4), 233–248.