Café Packaging Price Index: August 2026 (Packery Catalogue)
On this page 6 sections
> Note: this index shows Packery's prices as they were in August 2026. Packery moved to new carton prices on 26 October 2026 (one price per carton, no volume discounts), so the figures below are historical. Each product page shows today's price.
This is Packery's café packaging price index for August 2026, published on 1 August 2026. It measures Packery's own catalogue only. It is not a survey of the Australian market. As the index stated at the time, no live competitor prices met the confidence threshold this period, so every figure below is a benchmark from our catalogue.
What you get is simple: for each packaging category we sell, the median price per item, the per-item price range, and how many products sit in that category. If you run a café, that gives you a quick reference point to hold up against your own invoices.
How to use a per-item median
A median is the middle price when every product in a category is lined up in price order. Half the products in that category cost less per item, half cost more. It is a reference point, not a quote for any one product.
Here is how a café can put it to work:
1. Work out your own per-item price. Take a recent invoice and divide the carton price by the number of items in the carton. Do this for each line you buy regularly.
2. Compare by category, not across categories. Hold your coffee cup price against the Coffee Cups & Lids median, your napkins against the Napkins median, and so on. Comparing a cup to a pizza box tells you nothing.
3. Check where you sit in the range. The range runs from the least to the most expensive item per unit in that category. A wide range means the category covers very different products, so the median is a rougher guide there.
4. Check the category page for the item you actually buy. The median covers a mix of sizes and styles. Open the category page, find the closest match to your product, and compare against its listed per-item price.
Every product page shows both the carton price and the price per item, so you can compare line by line.
Price by category
Figures as published in this index on 1 August 2026. Medians and ranges are per item.
| Category | Catalogue range | Products |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee Cups & Lids | $0.04–$0.31 | 73 |
| Takeaway Boxes & Containers | $0.06–$3.22 | 65 |
| Cold Cups & Lids | $0.03–$0.28 | 38 |
| Bags | $0.01–$1.20 | 71 |
| Burger Boxes & Clamshells | $0.09–$0.76 | 51 |
| Bowls & Lids | $0.01–$0.78 | 82 |
| Napkins | $0.01–$0.09 | 21 |
| Chip Cups & Trays | $0.03–$0.46 | 32 |
| Portion Cups & Lids | $0.09–$0.39 | 4 |
| Food Paper | $0.01–$0.14 | 24 |
| Cutlery & Serving | $0.00–$0.34 | 66 |
| Cleaning & Hygiene | $0.18–$1.68 | 10 |
| Pizza Boxes | $0.31–$0.86 | 18 |
| Sushi & Trays | $0.09–$0.46 | 35 |
| Fresh Produce Packaging | $0.07–$0.31 | 9 |
| Plates & Trays | $0.07–$1.83 | 68 |
| Straws | $0.02–$0.15 | 30 |
No live competitor data was used for any category this period.
What changed since the previous index
These are the moves this index reported against the previous index, exactly as published:
- Coffee Cups & Lids: up $0.01 per item (was $0.15, now $0.16)
- Takeaway Boxes & Containers: up $0.02 per item (was $0.28, now $0.30)
- Burger Boxes & Clamshells: up $0.02 per item (was $0.29, now $0.32)
- Bowls & Lids: up $0.01 per item (was $0.20, now $0.21)
- Chip Cups & Trays: up $0.01 per item (was $0.11, now $0.13)
- Portion Cups & Lids: up $0.01 per item (was $0.08, now $0.09)
- Cutlery & Serving: up $0.01 per item (was $0.04, now $0.05)
- Cleaning & Hygiene: up $0.01 per item (was $0.19, now $0.21)
- Sushi & Trays: up $0.02 per item (was $0.17, now $0.19)
- Fresh Produce Packaging: up $0.01 per item (was $0.16, now $0.17)
- Plates & Trays: up $0.04 per item (was $0.60, now $0.65)
Categories not listed here were not reported as changed in this index. For the earlier snapshot, see the July 2026 index.
Since this index
The catalogue has moved on since August. Here is how a few categories looked in this index compared with the catalogue on 24 October 2026:
- Coffee Cups & Lids: median $0.16 per item across 73 products in this index; $0.12 per item across 72 products on 24 October 2026.
- Burger Boxes & Clamshells: median $0.32 per item across 51 products in this index; $0.24 per item across 49 products on 24 October 2026.
- Sushi & Trays: median $0.19 per item (range $0.09–$0.46) in this index; $0.14 per item (range $0.05–$0.42) on 24 October 2026.
- Bags: median $0.05 per item with a range of $0.01–$1.20 in this index; median $0.05 per item with a range of $0.01–$0.91 on 24 October 2026.
- Plates & Trays: median $0.65 per item in this index; $0.65 per item on 24 October 2026.
If you are checking invoices today, use the current category pages rather than this August table. Later snapshots are in the September 2026 index and the October 2026 index.
Methodology (as published)
Figures are median per-unit prices (wholesale trade pricing). Packery medians are computed across our full 697-product catalogue. No live competitor prices met the confidence threshold this period, so categories are shown as catalogue benchmarks. No prices, statistics or supplier names are estimated or invented.
Ordering from Packery
- All.
- Products are sold by the carton, and each product page shows the carton price and the price per item.
- All orders are prepaid online.
- There is no minimum order.
- Delivery: a flat fee by postcode, free over a set order amount (see shipping). See shipping for details.
Browse every category at current prices in the shop, or use quick order if you already know what you buy.
Setting up or restocking your packaging?
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