Did You See the Greenpeace Video About Packaging?

I woke up this morning and made the mistake of opening Instagram. First thing, was a video from Green Peace featuring local creators, in regards to the single use plastics that Pick n Pay uses for their fruit and veg.

Having received my new Swish & Swank bag yesterday (more on that later) in a huge, biodegradable box, it did make me proud to see how conscientious small businesses are when it comes to packing their products.

But are restaurants the same?

Walk into any busy takeaway, and you’ll notice one thing almost immediately: the packaging tells you a lot about the food before you’ve even tasted it. The perfect fast-food packaging keeps meals hot, but it also does something subtler: it communicates the quality of your product.

So I started thinking about my last orders of takeaway and I must say, most of them are doing ok! Zuney? Cardboard boxes. Chinese? Cardboard boxes. Butler’s Pizza? Cardboard boxes. Rocco Mama? Clamshells. Yes, those weird white boxes actually have a name! In fact, Zuney’s chip boxes are called Chip Scoops! Makes sense.

The one that does make me a feel a little squidgy is the foil trays. Pretty much the only place I could think of is Borusso’s with their lasagne (so good!).

I’ve been considering my own packaging lately for merchandise for We Live in Cape Town and I’m really glad to know we have local producers in Cape Town, making these types of containers – particularly because they’re from natural products like sugarcane, aluminium, cardboard, etc.

Great packaging (whether food or products) is about everything the customer touches, sees, and remembers. The right packaging builds recognition with every order and performs its practical function of keeping food intact and ready for your customer.

When choosing the right packaging for your business, start with the product itself. Then think about your delivery model and the values your brand wants to communicate. Each format is an opportunity to reinforce who you are, what your brand stands for and how you want to impact the planet.