Burger Boxes: Sugarcane Clamshell or Corrugated Box?
Burger boxes come in two materials at Packery: moulded sugarcane clamshells and folded corrugated cardboard boxes. Pick sugarcane when you want a plain hinged clamshell in natural or white, and pick corrugated when the box needs to carry your logo, because selected corrugated burger, dinner and snack boxes are available with custom printing and the sugarcane clamshells are not.
Key takeaways
- Sugarcane clamshells come in natural (unbleached) and white, in 6" hamburger, 8", 9" 3-compartment and 9 x 6 x 3 sizes.
- Corrugated boxes come in brown or white, and most of them can be custom printed with your logo; the sugarcane clamshells cannot.
- The 6" hamburger clamshells are 152x152x80mm; the corrugated burger box is a smaller 102x105x80mm.
- If the burger travels with chips, look at the 9 x 6 x 3 clamshell, the 8" 3-compartment clamshell or a corrugated dinner box rather than a single-burger size.
- Every product is sold by the carton, with the carton price and price per item shown on the product page.
What is the difference between sugarcane and corrugated burger boxes?
Sugarcane clamshells are moulded from sugarcane fibre into a one-piece container with a hinged lid, while corrugated boxes are folded from fluted cardboard. That difference drives the practical choices below: colour, printing and shape.
Sugarcane is made from the fibre left over after sugarcane is pressed for juice, which is why the unbleached versions have a natural, slightly oatmeal colour. Corrugated board has a wavy inner layer between flat sheets, which gives the box its structure. Both are fibre-based materials, so the decision usually comes down to presentation and service style rather than one being universally better.
Which material suits burgers eaten on site?
For burgers eaten at a table or a bench, a sugarcane clamshell works as both the container and the plate. The customer eats out of the base, and you have one item to clear rather than a plate and a wrapper.
The Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Unbleached Clamshell Hamburger 6" (Carton of 400) and its white twin, the Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Clamshell Hamburger 6" (Carton of 400), both measure 152x152x80mm. That 80mm depth leaves room for a tall stacked burger. Choose natural if your fit-out leans towards timber and kraft tones, and white if you want the food to stand out against a clean background.
For a burger and chips served together, the Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Unbleached Clamshell 8" (Carton of 200) at 203x203x58mm gives a wider, shallower base. If you want the chips, burger and a side kept apart, the Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Clamshell 8" 3 Compartments (Carton of 200) is the same 203x203x58mm footprint split into three compartments, which keeps sides away from the bun.
Which material suits burgers carried away or delivered?
For takeaway and delivery, the bigger question is branding and stacking. A carried-away box is seen by everyone between your counter and the customer's door, so the corrugated range is worth a look: the Corrugated Takeaway Container – White Burger Box Plain (Carton of 250), the Corrugated Takeaway Container – Brown Dinner Box Plain (Carton of 150) and the Corrugated Takeaway Container – White Family Pack Plain (Carton of 100) can all be custom printed (see custom printing).
The corrugated burger box is 102x105x80mm, which suits a single burger on its own. For a burger meal, the dinner boxes at 178x160x80mm take a burger with a side, and the family pack at 290x170x85mm suits shared orders.
If you would rather keep things plain and moulded, the 9x6x3 Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Clamshell (Carton of 200) and the 9x6x3 Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Unbleached Clamshell (Carton of 200) are both 229x152x75mm. That longer rectangle fits a burger beside a serve of chips, and the hinged lid keeps everything in one closed unit.
How should saucy burgers change the choice?
Saucy burgers change the shape you want more than the material. A deeper container keeps sauce in the base rather than on the lid, and a compartment keeps it away from the chips.
The 6" hamburger clamshells and the corrugated burger box share the same 80mm depth, so both give a stacked, saucy burger some headroom. The 8" clamshells are shallower at 58mm, which suits flatter burgers and open sandwiches better than a tall, dripping stack. For dry burgers, such as a plain grilled patty or a wrapped slider, any of the sizes works and you can decide on colour and branding alone.
Whatever you choose, test it in your own kitchen before ordering in volume: build your messiest burger into a sample box, close it, and hold it for as long as your longest delivery run.
How do the prices compare?
Across the burger options below, the sugarcane clamshells cost less per item than the corrugated boxes, and most of the corrugated boxes add the custom print option (the White Dinner Box Plain is not listed for custom printing). The table below lists carton price and price per item for the main burger options, all including GST.
| Product | Material and size | Carton qty | Carton price | Price per item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unbleached Clamshell Hamburger 6" | Sugarcane, natural, 152x152x80mm | 400 | $96.89 | $0.24 |
| Clamshell Hamburger 6" | Sugarcane, white, 152x152x80mm | 400 | $88.33 | $0.22 |
| Unbleached Clamshell 8" | Sugarcane, natural, 203x203x58mm | 200 | $38.65 | $0.19 |
| Clamshell 8" 3 Compartments | Sugarcane, white, 203x203x58mm | 200 | $34.75 | $0.17 |
| 9x6x3 Clamshell | Sugarcane, white, 229x152x75mm | 200 | $32.98 | $0.16 |
| 9x6x3 Unbleached Clamshell | Sugarcane, natural, 229x152x75mm | 200 | $34.85 | $0.17 |
| White Burger Box Plain | Corrugated, white, 102x105x80mm | 250 | $69.38 | $0.28 |
| Brown Dinner Box Plain | Corrugated, brown, 178x160x80mm | 150 | $63.18 | $0.42 |
| White Dinner Box Plain | Corrugated, white, 178x160x80mm | 150 | $68.76 | $0.46 |
| White Family Pack Plain | Corrugated, white, 290x170x85mm | 100 | $75.57 | $0.76 |
For a size-by-size price breakdown of the cardboard range, see Cardboard Burger Boxes: Sizes and Price Per Box. For the wider sugarcane clamshell range beyond burgers, see Clamshell Containers.
Which one should I buy?
- Café or pub serving burgers at the table: the Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Unbleached Clamshell Hamburger 6" (Carton of 400) for a natural look, or the Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Clamshell Hamburger 6" (Carton of 400) in white.
- Burger and chips in one closed pack for takeaway: the 9x6x3 Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Clamshell (Carton of 200) at $0.16 each.
- Food truck or burger bar that wants its logo on every box: the Corrugated Takeaway Container – White Burger Box Plain (Carton of 250) for single burgers, with custom printing available.
- Burger meals for delivery with a branded look: the Corrugated Takeaway Container – Brown Dinner Box Plain (Carton of 150) at $0.42 each.
- Shared orders and family meals: the Corrugated Takeaway Container – White Family Pack Plain (Carton of 100) at 290x170x85mm.
You can see every option side by side on the burger boxes and clamshells page.
Ordering burger boxes from Packery
There is no minimum order, so you can buy a single carton to trial a material before switching your whole menu. Delivery is $35 flat to metro areas, free on orders over $750, and $75 flat to regional areas, free over $1,000. Expect 3–5 business days to capital cities and 4–6 business days regional. All orders are prepaid online and prices include GST. Unopened full cartons can be returned within 14 days of delivery (customer pays return freight), and damaged or faulty items are replaced or refunded free. If you already know your products, the quick order page is the fastest way to add several cartons at once.
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No minimum order · free delivery over $750 (metro) / $1000 (regional) · 14-day returns · Delivery details
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