Switching Your Café to Plant-Based Packaging: A Step Plan

To switch your café to plant-based packaging without running out, change one category at a time: use up your current stock, trial a carton of the replacement, check lid and size fit, brief your staff, then reorder. Swap by material (sugarcane, PLA-lined paper, aqueous-coated paper, wood or bamboo) so you know exactly what each item is made of.

Key takeaways

• Never swap everything at once. Move one category (cups, containers, cutlery) per reorder cycle.
• Finish your existing stock first, and place the new order while you still have enough on the shelf to cover delivery time.
• Trial one carton before you commit. There is no minimum order, so a single carton is a normal order.
• Check lid fit, portion size and how the item stacks behind the counter before the old stock runs out.
• Tell staff what changed and why, so they can answer customer questions accurately.

What is the safest order to swap categories in?

Start with the items you use most and that have the fewest moving parts, usually stirrers, cutlery and small serving cups, because they have no lids to match. Leave hot cups and lidded containers until last, since they need a lid check before you change over.

A practical sequence for most cafés:

1. Stirrers and cutlery. The 140mm Wooden Cutlery – Coffee Stirrer (Carton of 10000) is wood, and the Bamboo Cutlery – Fork (Carton of 2000) is bamboo at 170mm. Neither needs a matching lid, so the swap is straightforward.

2. Small serving cups. The 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) is sugarcane, in a natural colour, for sauces, sides and samples.

3. Takeaway food containers. Clamshells and lunch boxes come next, once you have checked they hold your portion sizes.

4. Coffee cups. Last, because every cup size has to work with the lids you stock.

How do I avoid running out during the switch?

Reorder the new item while your old stock still covers the delivery window. Delivery takes 3–5 business days to capital cities and 4–6 business days regional, so place the order before your shelf gets to that point.

Keep old and new stock on separate shelves and use the old item until it is gone, so staff are not reaching for two products during a rush. If you prefer to check the numbers first, each product page shows the carton price and the price per item, so you can compare the new item against what you pay now.

How do I check lid and size fit before committing?

Order one carton of the replacement and test it against your real menu and your current lids before the old stock runs out. Fill it with your actual portion, close it, stack it and carry it the way a customer would.

Things to check on each item:

• Cups: does your current lid sit firmly on the new cup at that size? Test every cup size separately.
• Containers: does your standard portion fit with room to close the lid without squashing food?
• Storage: does the carton fit where the old one went, and does the item stack behind the counter?
• Hot and wet food: try your saucier dishes, not just dry ones.

Damaged or faulty items are replaced or refunded free; unopened stock cartons can be returned within 7 days of delivery (10% restocking fee, return delivery at your cost). Open only what you need for the trial.

Which plant-based materials replace what?

Match the material to the job. The table below covers common café items, using only the carton price and price per item listed on each product page.

The PLA-lined and aqueous-coated items are paper with a coating; the sugarcane, wood and bamboo items are listed with those as the material. For a deeper look at container options, see our takeaway container materials guide.

How do I brief staff on the new packaging?

Give staff a short, accurate description of each new item before it goes on the counter: what it is made of and what it replaces. Keep it to the material, for example "the clamshells are now sugarcane" or "the hot cups are PLA-lined paper".

If a customer asks how to dispose of an item, staff should describe the material rather than guess. Show the team the new storage spot during a quiet period.

Which one should I buy?

Pick by the job each item does in your café:

• Espresso-bar café, mostly small hot drinks: the 8oz Aqueous Coated Coffee Cups – Double Wall Art Print (Carton of 500), aqueous-coated paper at $54.90 per carton ($0.11 each).
• Café selling larger takeaway coffees: the 12oz Kraft Coffee Cups – Lined SW Print 90mm (Carton of 1000), PLA-lined paper at $135.09 per carton ($0.14 each). Check your current lids fit this 90mm cup before switching.
• Burgers, toasties and hot breakfasts to go: the 9x6x3 Sugarcane Takeaway Container – Unbleached Clamshell (Carton of 200), sugarcane, 229x152x75mm, at $37.40 per carton ($0.19 each).
• Salads, bowls and full lunch serves: the PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Extra Large (Carton of 200), PLA-coated paper, 197x140x90mm, at $116.64 per carton ($0.58 each).
• Noodles, sides and smaller hot serves: the 8oz PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Noodle Box (Carton of 1000), PLA-coated paper at $124.59 per carton ($0.12 each).
• Sauces and dressings: the 2oz sugarcane serving cup (see the product page for the current price).
• Counter stirrers and cutlery: the wooden stirrer (see the product page for the current price).

Custom printing with your logo is available on selected products, including the 12oz kraft cup and the extra large lunch box; see custom print. For buying larger volumes once you have settled on your range, read our takeaway containers bulk guide, or browse the full takeaway containers range.

Ordering your switch-over cartons

Packery sells by the carton with no minimum order, so you can trial one carton per category before switching fully. Delivery is a flat fee set by your postcode, and free once an order passes a set amount; checkout shows the exact cost, and today's rates are on the shipping page. Delivery takes 3–5 business days to capital cities and 4–6 business days regional. All orders are prepaid online. Damaged or faulty items are replaced or refunded free; unopened stock cartons can be returned within 7 days of delivery (10% restocking fee, return delivery at your cost). When your trial items pass, reorder them in one go through quick order.

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