As the trends such as eco-friendly lifestyle and doorstep food delivery pick up the pace in the COVID-19-affected world, there is an increase in demand for foodservice disposables across the globe. As a result, the production of environmental-friendly disposables is on the rise.
Companies have invested a huge amount of money in research to find the best alternative to plastic that is durable, portable, and can hold food items safely. All these factors along with surge in the global travel industry are expected to propel the global foodservice disposables market.
This growth in the market is subjected to key trends such as the rise in the number of green shops and stores, awareness regarding zero-waste footprint, conscious consumerism, rise in R&D, and demand for single-use plastics.
Here are a few key trends that rule the foodservice disposables market today:
Increase in popularity and credibility of green shops and stores:
Usually, low-quality and non-disposable containers or packaging materials are used when one goes shopping for groceries each time. Buying packaged items means supporting recurrent use of plastic bags and containers.
As a solution to this, several stores have launched an eco-friendly concept of grocery shopping. Customers can bring their own clean, sustainable containers or disposables each time they come to shop. These stores sell sustainable bags, disposables, or sustainable bottles that can be used frequently and for a longer period.
Recently, MORRISONS, a store chain, has announced its plans to introduce six zero-waste stores to promote the recycling of packaging materials and unsold food items by 2025. If the trial proves to be a success, the store chain will launch the project in all its stores across the UK. This trial is conducted with the help of Nestlé to recycle soft plastics in the UK rather than processing them in other countries. There are many small stores such as The Blue Pantry of Wellington and Take No Wrap of Yeovil which offer minimal-waste services.
Change in consumerism:
Conscious consumerism is on the rise across the world. Modern buyers make sustainable and environment-friendly purchase decisions, be it building a house, buying a car, shopping for daily use items, dining in restaurants, or ordering food from apps. Market leaders have grasped this trend and changes are made in the business offerings accordingly. For example, Dunnet Bay Distillers have introduced refills and closed-loop packaging for their popular spirits to decrease carbon impact.
As per the claims made by Dunnet Bay Distillers, adopting environmentally friendly packaging would help it decrease storage and transportation costs in both the UK and the US markets. The new packaging assures that the pouches will be transformed into plastic pellets and upcycled into new products, instead of ending up in a landfill.
The market also offers tools that motivate users to make sustainable choices. Platforms such as Giki help to live sustainably and reduce carbon footprint. Giki is a social enterprise based in the UK. It is formed with a mission to help people live sustainable life. The enterprise works actively with community groups, small businesses, and global companies to help cut carbon footprints.
An alternative to single-use plastic:
Notpla, a London-based start-up has developed an alternative to single-use plastic, Ooho, which can be used in food and drink packaging. It is a 100% biodegradable container created from a particular seaweed that grows up to three meters per day. This bottle alternative is edible, which means, no waste, no bins, and no recycling either. The production of Ooho needs nine times less energy compared to traditional plastic water bottles.
The foodservice disposables market will have to change as per the time to be relevant and eco-friendly. As research activities are conducted to develop eco-friendly packaging materials, the market will adopt new innovations to create quality, sustainable, and safe containers.
