Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Size, Share, Industry, Forecast and outlook (2024-2031)

Global Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market is segmented By End-User (Restaurants, Cafe, Online food services, Quick service restaurant, Catering, Others), By Material (Plastic, Paper, Others), By Type (Cups, Plates, Bowls, Clamshells, Cutlery, Containers, Others), By Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2030

Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Overview

The Global Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market is estimated to reach at a high CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period 2023-2030. 

Compostable foodservice packing consists of plates, bowls, cups, trays, clamshells, cutlery, pouches and others made up of compostable material. The compostable foodservice packaging products are made up of paper, plastic and other natural materials.  Foodservice packaging has been evolving with growing awareness regarding environmental impacts from plastics and various materials. Consequently, manufacturers, as well as consumers, have started utilizing compostable foodservice products as alternatives. The compostable product industry call to action is based on using compostable cutlery, cups, plates and packaging, causing consumers to compost more food and reduce the climate impact of the tons of food scraps and food-soiled paper landfilled every year.

Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Summary

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Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Dynamics and Trends

The global compostable foodservice packaging market is expected to drive with the rising number of food outlets and online food delivery globally and growing emphasis on eco-friendly packaging.

Growing emphasis on eco-friendly packaging

The growing emphasis on eco-friendly packaging is expected to drive the compostable foodservice packaging market in the forecast period. The rising concerns over the use of plastic and its environmental impacts have been trending in the food & beverages industry. Various initiatives have been taken on the global level by multinational food chains and governments to reduce the use of plastic for a sustainable future. The supply of sustainable recyclable and compostable packaging has exponentially increased in recent years. Manufacturers are tapping into new materials with advancing innovations in the field. For instance, Footprint company has launched its new, plant-based compostable clamshell food container. The company has developed the clamshell with growing demand for disposable food containers.

The trend of single-use foodservice packaging has been emerging as it offers safety and hygiene. Recent scientific studies found that the danger of bacteria and micro-bacteria are much more in reusable packaging material as compared to single-use materials. In the current situation, restaurants or foodservice are operating through takeout and delivery containers only. Such scenarios have boosted the market demand for compostable foodservice packaging.

Need for an industrial facility

The need for an industrial composting facility is responsible for restraining the growth of the compostable foodservice packaging market in the forecast period. The compostable foodservice packaging products require an additional industrial facility set up to break the bio-plastic down into pieces and compost it. Various leading food chains like Starbucks have stated that compostable cups are a greener option, but sending them to an industrial facility is a problem. Currently, only a few hundred composting facilities are present in the leading countries like the U.S that can accept food scraps and plastics.

Moreover, contamination is one of the major problems faced by the industry as consumers often throw non-compostable look-alike items into the bins. Removing this trash increases the use of energy, water and other resources and drives up operating costs. For instance, Cedar Grove, one of the leading composting companies, spends over US$5 million a year removing plastic bags, spoons, folks from its compost.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market

Due to the pandemic, stakeholders across the compostable foodservice packaging industry have seen a notable impact as all the production work, factories and other activities were closed. As a result, production was hindered by halts and supply chain disruption globally. After the pandemic, the governments still imposed various restrictions, such as working with half the workforce and fewer operating hours hindering the production cycle of the market.

On the other hand, demand for compostable foodservice packaging has seen a positive demand during the outbreak. The regions have witnessed a sharp rise in the adoption of single-use disposable items.

The use of reusable utensils has been minimized in commercial and residential places as a preventive step from the outbreak. Popular food companies like McDonald's recommend using single-use food-service items to minimize the transmission risk through food-service items. The pandemic has forced leading chains, including Starbucks and Dunkin, to stop using reusable mugs brought by the customers for more than a year, which has created a massive demand for compostable foodservice packaging products.

Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Segmentation Analysis

By type, the compostable foodservice packaging market is broadly classified into cups, bowls, plates, cutlery, containers, clamshells and others.

The compostable cups are expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period (2023-2030)

The compostable cups are expected to hold the largest market for the compostable foodservice packaging market and are expected to continue their dominance in the forecast period. The huge consumption of drinkware and evolving culture of on-the-go drinks creates opportunities for compostable cups manufacturers. According to the industry analysis, almost 219 million Americans used disposable cups and plates in 2020. It is estimated that the U.S is one of the highest consumers of disposable cups, with a consumption of 50 billion coffee cups each year.

To deliver sustainable packaging options in the growing food & beverages industry, companies are launching new compostable cups as an alternative to plastic and paper cups. For instance, in 2021- Novolex has launched a new Chattanooga, Tenn. production line for manufacturing compostable cold beverage cups made from plant-based plastic.

Moreover, in 2019- Huhtamaki has launched a new compostable Bioware Impresso hot cup. The cup utilizes a sustainable 100% PEFC certified paperboard with a plant-based coating on the inside.

Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Geographical Share

North America region holds the largest market for the global compostable foodservice packaging globally

North America region holds the largest market share for the compostable foodservice packaging market globally and is expected to continue its dominance in the forecast period. The new regulations associated with the use of foodservice packaging in the region will act as a major factor for boosting the market demand. For instance, from January, Berkeley, California has set up a new rule, requiring all restaurants and cafes to start charging 25 cents for disposable cups. Moreover, the lids, cups, straws, utensils, and clamshells used in the restaurants must also be certified compostable. Various countries have also imposed a ban on plastic straws, plastic food containers and take-away service ware.

The region has a huge demand for disposables foodservice products as they are widely used in parties, homes, functions, offices and restaurants. For instance, over 100 million plastic utensils are used daily in the US, and over 27 million tons of plastic end up in landfills each year. Moreover, Sodexo, one of the largest food-service providers, has to buy almost 44 million disposable utensils per month in the U.S alone.

With upcoming governmental regulations and the growing food service industry, various leading companies are launching sustainable packaging solutions. For instance, in 2021, US-based World Centric has launched a collection of certified compostable serving utensils and single-use cutlery in the North American market. This collection of plastic-free products provides the foodservice industry with an environmentally-conscious option to traditional disposable serving utensils.

Compostable Foodservice Packaging Market Companies and Competitive Landscape

The compostable foodservice packaging market is moderately competitive with the local player’s presence, followed by the global companies, contributing to the major share in the market growth. In addition, some of the key players contributing to the growth of the market are GreenTek Packaging LLC, Novolex, Biosphere Industries LLC, Eco-Products, Inc., FootPrint, Anchor Packaging Inc., Dart Container Corporation, Good Start Packaging, Be Green Packaging LLC, Huhtamäki, WestRock Company and others. The major players are adopting various new strategies to dominate the market, such as product launches, expansions, acquisitions and collaborations, contributing to the growth of the Graphene battery market globally.

GreenTek Packaging LLC

Overview: GreenTek Packaging LLC designs and manufactures eco-friendly packaging apparel and solutions. The company is engaged in producing hemp-based, compostable plastics to offset virgin plastics.

Product Portfolio: The company offers hemp-based disposable utensils, hemp polymer cosmetic containers and secondary packaging.

Key Development: In 2020, GreenTek Packaging LLC launched its Hemptensil brand of plant-based disposable utensils. The product line includes forks, spoons, and knives that are bio-based and are compostable, breaking down heat and bacteria into water, air, and carbon dioxide.

The global compostable foodservice packaging market report would provide access to an approx: 69 market data table, 68 figures and 180 pages.