Café Packaging Price Index: September 2026 (Packery Catalogue)
> Note: this index shows Packery's prices as they were in September 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 index was published on 10 September 2026. It measures Packery's own catalogue, not the Australian packaging market. Every figure below is a median per-item price across the products Packery lists in each category. No other suppliers were surveyed: no live competitor prices met our confidence threshold this period, so each category is shown as a catalogue benchmark only.
That makes this page useful for one specific job: giving a café a reference point, by category, to hold up against the per-item prices on its own invoices. It is not a statement about what packaging costs across Australia, and it should not be read as one.
How to use a per-item median
A median is the middle price in a category once every product in it is lined up in price order. Half the products sit at or below it and half sit at or above it. It is a quick way to see where a typical item in a category lands, but it is not the price of any particular item you buy.
Here is a simple way to 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 packaging line you buy regularly.
2. Compare by category, not across categories. Hold your coffee cup price against the coffee cup median, your napkin price against the napkin median, and so on. Comparing a pizza box with a napkin tells you nothing.
3. Look at the range as well as the median. Some categories cover very different products, so the spread between the least and most expensive item is wide. If your price sits inside the range, the median alone will not tell you whether it is a fair match for the item.
4. Check the product page for the exact item. The median is a starting point. Each product page shows its carton price and price per item, so you can find the closest match to what you actually use and compare like with like.
Products in this guide
Sold by the carton · price per item shown
Price by category
The figures below are exactly as published in this index on 10 September 2026. No live competitor data was available for any category this period.
| Category | Packery median (per unit) | Catalogue range | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Cups & Lids | $0.12 | $0.04–$0.29 | 73 |
| Takeaway Boxes & Containers | $0.30 | $0.06–$3.22 | 65 |
| Cold Cups & Lids | $0.06 | $0.04–$0.28 | 38 |
| Bags | $0.05 | $0.01–$1.20 | 71 |
| Burger Boxes & Clamshells | $0.27 | $0.09–$0.76 | 51 |
| Bowls & Lids | $0.21 | $0.01–$0.78 | 82 |
| Napkins | $0.02 | $0.01–$0.09 | 21 |
| Chip Cups & Trays | $0.13 | $0.03–$0.46 | 32 |
| Portion Cups & Lids | $0.09 | $0.09–$0.39 | 4 |
| Food Paper | $0.05 | $0.01–$0.14 | 24 |
| Cutlery & Serving | $0.05 | $0.00–$0.34 | 66 |
| Cleaning & Hygiene | $0.21 | $0.18–$1.68 | 10 |
| Pizza Boxes | $0.53 | $0.31–$0.86 | 18 |
| Sushi & Trays | $0.15 | $0.05–$0.46 | 35 |
| Fresh Produce Packaging | $0.17 | $0.07–$0.31 | 9 |
| Plates & Trays | $0.65 | $0.07–$1.83 | 68 |
| Straws | $0.03 | $0.02–$0.15 | 30 |
Categories without a link here can be browsed through the full shop.
What changed since our last index
These moves were published in this index, comparing Packery's catalogue medians with the previous edition:
- Coffee Cups & Lids: down $0.04/unit (was $0.16, now $0.12)
- Burger Boxes & Clamshells: down $0.05/unit (was $0.32, now $0.27)
- Sushi & Trays: down $0.05/unit (was $0.19, now $0.15)
These are changes in the medians of Packery's own catalogue. They describe our product list and prices, not the wider market.
Since this index
The catalogue has kept moving since 10 September. Here is how a few categories looked on 24 October 2026, alongside what this index published:
- Coffee Cups & Lids: this index published a median of $0.12 per item across 73 products. On 24 October 2026 the median was $0.12 per item across 72 products.
- Burger Boxes & Clamshells: this index published a median of $0.27 per item across 51 products. On 24 October 2026 the median was $0.24 per item across 49 products.
- Sushi & Trays: this index published a median of $0.15 per item, with a range of $0.05–$0.46. On 24 October 2026 the median was $0.14 per item, with a range of $0.05–$0.42.
- Bags: this index published a range of $0.01–$1.20. On 24 October 2026 the range was $0.01–$0.91, with the median at $0.05 per item.
If you are checking invoices today, use the current category pages rather than this table. For other editions, see the October 2026 index and the August 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
Everything is sold by the carton, and each product page shows both the carton price and the price per item, which makes the invoice check above straightforward. All orders are prepaid online.
Delivery is $35 flat to metro areas, free on orders over $750, and $75 flat to regional areas, free over $1,000. There is no minimum order.
If you already know your regular lines, quick order is the fastest way to restock. To browse every category at current trade prices, head to the shop.
Setting up or restocking your packaging?
Send us your list for a trade quote, or price it yourself in the cost calculator.
No minimum order · free delivery over $750 (metro) / $1000 (regional) · damaged items replaced free · Delivery details
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