Coolest and most innovative packaging

[MarkIsCooking]

For everyone out there who does take-out and/or catering, I'd love to hear about the most creative and/or innovative packaging you've seen. It seems like most people use the 'standard' plastic or Styrofoam; boring and horrible for the earth too.

What have you seen that's awesome???

Any sources you'd recommend for suppliers????

-mark-

[moira27]

I wish I had a perfect answer for you but I do have one suggestion. Find out what is recyclable in your area and try to follow that. In our community we can only recycle 1 and 2. It really bothers me that packages like that are available and our grocery store uses a majority of plastics that are not recyclable here and a small percentage that are.

[Werdna]

The best I've seen (I used to deliver food for multiple places) were low, wide 2 part containers, with clear tops, black bottoms with compartments. The clear tops allow you to see which dish is which without opening them, and the compartmentalized bottoms kept the food from being a jumble by the time it got to the customer's home.

I dont know a source for them, and they are probably more expensive than just the styrofoam, but I think the good shape the food arrived in to be eaten a clear benefit if you want people to reorder. Sometimes the tops could come loose, so some economy sized rubberbands might be necessary.

[Walter Moar]

Another option is corn-based containers (or "corntainers"). These containers are clear and look like traditional plastic, but they are not oil-based, and they can be composted.

[cinghiale]

Will Goldfarb's going very green, including containers, at the soon-to-open Picnick in New York's Battery Park. Maybe they can point you in the right direction.

[Preserver]

depending on the budget. i think that the aluminium foil bowl that has the crimp top and have a recyclable plastic top or even corn top. here in san francisco they banned styrofoam to go boxes and everyone steered towards paper based boxes. it works but softened easily. maybe someone makes a to go box thats plastic lined like the chinese leftover boxes. not seen those yet..