Eco&Food: packaging for the food delivery
Smaller families, multi-ethnicity, higher quality, and increased ecological sensitivity are the main changing trends.
In recent years, the rise of smaller families, or even individuals living alone, has been the main socio-demographic shift. According to an Istat survey, in Italy, large families have decreased overall in favor of families with only one child.
Moreover, compared to previous years, multi-ethnicity has increased due to rising immigration and the presence of foreigners in our country.
As a result, there has been a growing development of eating habits different from traditional Italian ones, leading to a demand for alternative products and dishes, especially among younger age groups.
Another significant phenomenon is the emergence of a more conscious consumer, increasingly attentive to food quality and potential food-related risks, as well as the materials used for packaging.
Both ecological sensitivity and awareness of the plastic invasion in food and our ecosystem have increased.
This awareness is beginning to influence individual lifestyle and consumption choices. Consequently, quality and sustainability certifications are aspects that consumers seek in both products and packaging.
This new consumer sensitivity has led all stakeholders in the supply chain to adopt quality standards and food traceability, as well as the traceability of their respective packaging, both in terms of regulation and usage.
Additionally, the rise of new lifestyles — driven by hectic schedules, limited free time, and the spread of short breaks — has had a strong impact on the traditional Italian habit of eating lunch at home.
Food Delivery: Continuous Growth
In this overall scenario, the consumption of fast and easy-to-prepare meals, often eaten outside the home, has increasingly spread over the past decade. As a result, the food delivery market in Italy is growing rapidly, thanks in part to the rise of many digital startups. Not only fast-food chains but also an increasing number of high-quality restaurants have joined this trend.
A 2018 Coldiretti/Censis study revealed that more than one in three Italians ordered food via phone or computer through a web platform, with a dramatic 47% increase compared to the previous year.
The growth of the sector is facilitated by the fact that these tools make the purchasing experience easy, with fast and accurate delivery times and an online payment system.
Of course, the growth of the food delivery market does not come without challenges and concerns.
The key need is to ensure that consumers using this service receive better quality raw materials and products. Consequently, packaging plays a crucial role: it must be suitable for transport, maintaining its protective function both in terms of integrity and hygiene, preventing viruses and other harmful microorganisms from coming into contact with the food.
Also read: Food Delivery: what is the best packaging?
Eco&Food: the good of packaging
The ECO&FOOD team, a business unit of LIC Packaging Spa dedicated to packaging for direct contact with food, has designed and developed a line specifically for food delivery, in line with market demands and customer needs.
To this end, various structures have been designed and developed to contain different types of food, such as hamburgers, complete menus, sushi and sashimi, tartare, ready-to-eat salads, bowls, desserts, or ice cream. These packaging solutions can be customized with high-quality prints using food-safe inks and are recyclable and compostable.
All packaging in the Eco&Food Delivery line is made from HT BOARD, a revolutionary material by nature, designed to hold food in direct contact with pure cellulose paper sourced from certified forests, ensuring hygiene and food safety while also providing a multifunctional and truly sustainable packaging solution for the environment.
The real advantage of these products lies in their resistance to oils, fats (and liquids in general), as well as their suitability for use in both traditional ovens and microwaves. They perform well even under thermal stress, withstanding up to 60 minutes at 220°C or 15 minutes at 900W. These factors are crucial, as food items purchased via delivery or takeaway are often reheated by the end consumer.
There has never been 100% paper packaging with these characteristics and performance.
For this reason, the Cigierre group, which manages major restaurant brands in Italy such as Old Wild West, Temakinho, America Graffiti, Wiener Haus, and Shi-s, as well as the Club Del Sole group, which operates a network of Camping Villages located in Italy’s beautiful natural settings, have chosen our ECO&FOOD Delivery solutions.
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