Eco-Friendly Food Packaging for Sushi: The Sustainable Alternatives You Should Be Using
branded-sushi-packaging

Eco-Friendly Food Packaging for Sushi

If you’re selling sushi, you know how much disposable packaging is required for takeaway orders.

From sushi trays to sushi boxes and containers, a lot goes into keeping your dishes fresh and delicious. That’s before you’ve considered the extras, like chopsticks, sauce pots, condiments and what you’ll use for drinks packaging.

That’s why we’re here to help you find the most sustainable sushi packaging for your sushi bar, restaurant, or takeaway service. Let’s get started!

Related: Bubble Tea: Everything You Need to Know

Getting Started with Sushi Packaging

Sushi is one of the healthiest takeaway options, making it incredibly popular with consumers. It comes in many shapes and sizes, combining raw fish, seafood, vegetables and rice. While the art of creating delicious sushi may be intricate, packaging sushi is relatively straightforward. 

This presents your brand with a unique opportunity to go the extra mile and give your customers an unforgettable experience with your sushi packaging. The most cost-effective way to do this is with sustainable packaging alternatives or branded packaging options.

To get you started, here’s a quick rundown of the different kinds of eco-friendly packaging you can use for maki, uramaki, temaki sashimi and nigiri:

Sushi Trays with Lids

Sushi trays are the most common packaging option for takeaways. Serving sushi rolls on these kinds of trays makes artful presentation simple. The transparent lids are recyclable and keep everything fresh until it’s ready to be eaten. Plus, your customers will be able to see their delicious sushi inside its packaging. Made from bagasse, the trays are 100% plastic-free and completely biodegradable.

Sushi Platters with Lids

Trays are great for individual orders, while sushi platters are better for sharing. They’re also available with matching lids to protect your food and make transportation hassle-free. These platters are also made from eco-friendly bagasse and come in small, medium and large sizes.

Compartment Trays with Lids

Serving more than just sushi? Compartmentalised trays help keep sides, sauces and condiments separate. This means your customers can have a restaurant-style experience wherever they take their food. They’re also available with recyclable lids to keep their takeaway food tasting great. Plus, these trays are 100% biodegradable.

Our sushi packaging is versatile and can be used with an array of other food products, minimising the amount of packaging you need to buy separately.

Discover more sustainable cold food packaging.

Eco-Friendly Food Packaging for Sushi 1

Eco-Friendly Materials for Sushi Packaging

Most sushi trays and boxes are made from plastic. While cost-effective, it’s not eco-friendly and contributes to plastic pollution. Most of the time, it’s not recycled — or recyclable. The good news is that there are a few sustainable, food-safe materials for sushi packaging to suit your brand and budget:

Bagasse Sushi Trays

We’ve created sturdy sushi trays with a natural aesthetic, made from bagasse, an organic material made from the byproducts of sugarcane harvesting. Bagasse is popular with brands ready to move away from plastic-based packaging since it’s 100% biodegradable and compostable. Pair these trays with recyclable lids for maximum sustainability.

Kraft Sushi Boxes and Trays

Kraft packaging has a higher resistance to moisture and a rustic finish. Trays are ideal if you don’t need a lid for your packaging, but Kraft food boxes are a great option if your customers are taking away their meals. The Kraft packaging we stock is available in various sizes and is 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.

Fastpac Packaging for Sushi

Fastpac packaging is closest to the classic sushi packaging customers are used to. The range includes Fastpac sushi trays, bowls and compartment trays made from 100% recycled polypropylene (PP). All are available with matching Fastpac lids for completely recyclable packaging that’s easy to dispose of responsibly.

Want to customise your sushi packaging? Get in touch for a free design quote.

Can You Recycle Sushi Containers?

Before you recycle sushi packaging, check what it’s made from. Some plastic sushi containers are recyclable, but some aren’t. Check the resin identification codes (RIC) stamped on the packaging to see whether or not your packaging can be recycled — it should be a small number in a triangle. 

If no number is present, the best thing to do for the environment is to dispose of it in general waste. This seems like bad practice, but if the packaging material can’t be identified, it will be rejected by recycling centres along with food packaging spoiled by oil, grease or moisture

To avoid this issue, retailers should err on the side of caution and choose recycled, biodegradable and compostable food packaging. Your sushi will be just as delectable if you use eco-friendly trays, containers and accessories! 

Related: The Best Packaging Materials for Takeaway Food and Drinks in 2022

Eco-Friendly Food Packaging for Sushi 2

Why Use Eco-Friendly Packaging for Sushi?

In the UK, the market for Japanese and sushi restaurants is valued at £1.3 billion, employing around 32,000 people across nearly 3000 businesses. With further growth in the sector anticipated, retailers will face stiffer competition from new and established brands.

This is where standing out becomes more about your mission and values rather than novelty. So what can retailers do?

Sustainable Packaging Helps You Connect

Eco-friendly packaging won’t just help you protect the planet; you can use it to help your brand connect with eco-conscious customers. People in this demographic are more likely to be wellness-focused and opt for sushi as their takeaway of choice. As a retailer, choose naturally renewable materials like bagasse, Kraft board and recycled plastic for your sushi packaging.

Food-Grade Packaging Keeps Customers Safe

Consumers are increasingly aware of the dangers of plastic in food packaging. Our food-grade packaging is 100% safe for use with food items so your customers can dine with confidence. All our packaging is stored in our BRCGS-certified storage facilities that comply with the highest standards of food packaging storage.

Biodegradable Packaging Is the Future

Give your customers packaging they can easily dispose of responsibly and make their takeaway experience significantly more enjoyable. It’s easy to make your customers feel good about buying from you by serving your sushi in natural packaging. Materials like Kraft board and bagasse can be composted or disposed of in general waste since they’ll degrade naturally in far less time than it would take for plastic packaging to decompose. 

Check out our online shop for more sustainable packaging options.

Eco-Friendly Food Packaging for Sushi 3

Eco-Friendly Accessories for Sushi Restaurants

Pots for Sauces

Our portion pots include Kraft board pots with either a polyethene  (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA) coating on the inside. This creates a barrier between the contents and the exterior packaging, so it isn’t spoiled by moisture or condensation. All of the pots in this collection are ideal for things like soy sauce, wasabi or pickled ginger. Branded containers are also available in any size and are printed with vegetable-based inks.

Bamboo Chopsticks

Disposable chopsticks need to be biodegradable, which is why ours are made from responsibly sourced bamboo. Once your customers finish their meals, these chopsticks will break down naturally into organic compounds. You can even brand your chopsticks or chopstick sleeves!

Biodegradable Napkins

When your customers are finished, help them tidy up with our eco-friendly napkins. They’re available in a wide range of colours to help you keep branding consistent on a budget, but you can customise these napkins with your logo or artwork to reinforce your branding.

Recyclable Paper Bags

No takeaway is complete without a classic paper bag! Hand over your sushi in a flat handle bag or twisted handle bag available in white or Kraft brown. Alternatively, add your branding — get custom printed paper bags and let your customers carry a walking advertisement for your business.

Interested in branded food packaging? Get in touch for a free design quote.

Interested in Branded Packaging for Sushi?

Branded packaging can help you dominate the competition, no matter the size of your sushi restaurant or takeaway business. As the UK’s eco-friendly food packaging experts, we’ve helped countless businesses maximise brand exposure and get custom packaging that protects the planet. 

Discover more sushi packaging and much more in our online shop. Want branded packaging? Get in touch via email or 01753 655344 for a free branded packaging design quote in just 48 hours.

Noodle Boxes- A New Addition to our Online Shop!
noodle-box-filter1

We have recently added Noodle Boxes to our Hot Food Container section why not take a look. It is something that we are really excited to show to customers, they are easy to brand and come in three different sizes.

The sizes that we offer are the 16oz, 26oz and 36oz and they come in boxes of 500. This product has a PE coating making it leak and grease resistant – perfect for saucy dishes.

Shop Online

FEATURES

  • Hot & Cold use
  • Easily Branded

Order before 2pm for next day delivery and spend over £100 for free delivery on all products. Head to our online shop to place your order.

Branding & Bulk Orders

If you are interested in branding, get in touch with us today to discuss creating your own bespoke Noodle Box. For bulk orders, we are able to offer you a discount, contact us to find out more.

Keep up to date by following us on social media.
@TakeawayPack on Twitter
@takeawaypackaging on Facebook
@takeawaypackaging on Instagram
Contact Us
Sign up for News & Special Offers

A Brief History of Chopsticks: Dos & Dont’s
chopsticks diner

Chopsticks have been around for centuries and, of course, they’re ubiquitous in Asia.

Actually, the sticks as we would recognise them today go back as far as the late Shang Dynasty.

In case you didn’t know, that was 16th-11th century BC, so just the other day…

In the early days, the Chinese word for Chopsticks was “zhu” 筯, and during that time, the tyrannical King Zhou ordered his craftsmen to make chopsticks out of elephant’s teeth which were deemed to be of utmost luxury in early Chinese culture.

chopsticks beef soup

The rise of chopsticks versus early versions of the spoon which were just as prevalent in very early Asian culture, is largely thanks to the rise of wheat!

Millet and other such grains used to be the staple for most early Chinese meals, but as the growing appeal of wheat continued, so to did wheat-flour foods such as noodles and dumplings.

With a lot more in the way of noodles and dumplings knocking around, chopsticks were clearly a much better tool than the humble spoon.

There’s an old Chinese proverb which gives testimony to the above: ‘you are what you wheat’.

Ok, sorry about that – here’s what you should know about using them:

chopsticks etiquette

Dos & Don’ts

It seems to be that chopsticks are no longer the novelty that they used to be and Asian restaurants are far less likely to assumptively provide silverware to their Western diners.

So with a modest 7,000 years worth of dining history behind them, there must be some etiquette rules around using chopsticks, right?

Well, there are loads!

Here’s a quick run down of the main ones that should see you through to the end of your meal and warmly welcomed back to dine again in the future.

Do take food from a serving bowl and place it in your bowl before eating – patience will serve hungry diners well here!

Don’t wave your chopsticks around or use them to point or gesticulate at someone.

Do place them on top of/across your bowl horizontally when not using them but DON’T cross them – crossing chopsticks is very taboo and a symbol of death…

chopsticks sharing

Don’t stick them into your food vertically as this is reminiscent of placing incense in rice at the altar during a funeral!

Don’t pick through food with your chopsticks looking for which item to choose from a shared serving plate, have conviction and commit.

Don’t suck the tip of your chopsticks – yes, even if there’s some amazingly tasty sauce left on it! This will see you ridiculed in front of everyone as someone lacking a family education…

Do hold the bowl in your hand and use your chopsticks to push rice into your mouth, if you need to.

Don’t do that if you’re in Korea.

Do NOT pierce pieces of food with your chopsticks, this is very rude!

Don’t pass food to another person chopstick to chopstick, that’s also a funeral ritual…

Don’t break apart wooden chopsticks and rub them together – this is because people would often do this with cheap wooden chopsticks that splinter. Doing so with any pair of chopsticks tells the host you think their chopsticks are cheap!

Remember those and you should be just fine!

chopsticks resting

Considering upping your chopstick game or perhaps introducing some Asian cuisine on your menu?

We can help!

We sell traditional yet modern chopsticks that are packed with potential.

Our custom branded chopsticks are a handy utensil for your takeaway customers and those dining in.

We can print the chopsticks sleeve with your artwork and logo to increase your brand’s presence.

Printing your chopsticks or chopstick sleeves can be an effective and visually appealing way to increase brand awareness and are a fraction of the cost of other forms of branded takeaway packaging.

We produce both wooden, disposable and resin reusable chopsticks.

Get in touch and let’s have a chat about what we can do to help you.

3 Tasty Noodle Recipes
Takeaway Noodles

There’s an old Chinese proverb which says that the longer the noodles you eat the longer you live.

The Takeaway Packaging crew all agree that they want to live as long and as fully as possible, so we put our heads together, scoured dozens of recipes, heated our woks and trialled an insane amount of noodles.

We picked out the 3 best and easy to make noodle recipes that can be enjoyed on the go, in the office, in the park, and work perfectly in our bespoke noodle boxes.

No matter how long the noodles you serve to your customers, you can guarantee delight with these tasty recipes and impress with our customized boxes.

 

Asian Garlic (Spaghetti) Noodles

(For full details check out damndelicious.net)

Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 mins

This recipe is amazing, quick and uses the ingredients you will already have.

No fuss, super delicious.

If you allow spaghetti to count as noodles then you can get some really long ‘noodles’ and you’ll basically live forever!

You need:
225g Spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
225g sliced mushrooms
1 diced red pepper
2 diced courgettes
1 grated carrot
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves

(optional) 350g peeled medium-size prawns

For the sauce
80ml reduced sodium soy sauce
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground fresh chili paste (or more if you like it fiery!)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, chilli paste, oyster sauce, ginger and sesame oil; set aside.
  • In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta; drain well.
  • Heat olive oil in a large pan/wok over medium high heat.
  • If including add prawns, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
  • Otherwise/then stir in mushrooms, pepper, courgettes and carrot to the wok.
  • Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in spaghetti, (prawns) and remaining soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with coriander.
Takeaway Noodle Recipes

Chungah Rhee: Image Source

Gluten-Free Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup

(For the original recipe head over to Heather Christo’s post on heatherchristo.com)

Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 11 mins

Noodle dishes don’t always have to contain gluten and they don’t always have to be Asian.

This recipe is as interesting and different as it is delicious.

Delight your customers with this gluten-free takeaway option and rest assured they’ll be back!

You need:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 finely diced yellow onion
1 minced clove garlic
330g fresh chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 litre chicken broth
180g diced celery
4 large peeled and diced carrots
1 ‘ear’ of corn (cut off the cob)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
435g cooked, shredded chicken breasts
227g gluten-free spaghetti noodles
Garnish: chopped avocado, cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, lime wedges

Directions:

  • In a large pot, over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion and the garlic.
  • Saute until soft and golden, 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the fresh tomatoes and cook, stirring in for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the dry spices and mix in and then the broth.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and then place a lid on the pot and turn to lowest heat, simmering for 15 minutes.
  • In the jar of a blender (in batches) or with an immersion blender, puree the soup base until smooth.
  • Add the diced celery, carrots and the corn.
  • Add the oregano and chicken breast and stir to combine.
  • Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
  • When the pasta is cooked, rinse well with cold water and then add to the soup.
  • Season well with kosher salt and garnish with chopped avocado, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander; serve with a lime wedge.
Takeaway noodles

Heather Christo: Image Source

Vegan Spicy Sesame & Peanut Noodles

(Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Henry via produceonparde.com)

Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 mins

Vegan dishes have never been more popular. Keep your offering current and your vegan customers raving about you with this scrumptious dish.

Winter woes be gone! This warming lunchtime go-to is a sure winner!

You need:
550g dried spaghetti noodles
1 bunch of fresh chopped broccoli rabe, florets and stems
35g white sesame seeds + more for garnish
60ml sesame oil
60ml + 2 tbsp soy sauce
60ml rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp vegan granulated sugar
3 tbsp sliced fresh ginger
2 heaped tbsp creamy peanut butter
4 large roughly chopped garlic cloves
1 ½ tbsp fresh garlic chili paste, to taste
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 fresh sliced green onions

Directions:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta.
  • Cook according to the package, about 9 minutes, until al dente.
  • When there’s about 3 minutes left for the noodles to cook, add the chopped broccoli rabe to parboil.
  • Strain the noodles and broccoli rabe; return to the pot and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, in a small frying pan toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes until slightly golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently (taking care not to burn). Place in blender once finished.
  • Add the remaining ingredients in the blender along with the sesame seeds, excluding the green onions.
  • Blend on high until super smooth.
  • Stir into the cooked pasta and broccoli rabe until well combined along with the green onions.
  • Serve warm with a smile!

Whether they’re Mexican, Asian, gluten-free, vegan, sticky, cold or warm, your noodles will look best in our fully customizable takeaway noodle boxes.

Reach out to our design team to make sure that your branded packaging stands up to the tastiness of your noodles.

And remember, long noodles = long life!

The Art of Mastering Chopstick Etiquette
Wooden Chopsticks In Branded Sleeve
Chopstick Etiquette…

Never point at someone with your index finger whilst using chopsticks, this is considered to be very rude.

Never bang your chopsticks on the side of a bowl or plate, the saying goes ‘tapping bowls and you’ll be a beggar for life’. In the past only beggars tapped bowls to attract the attention of passers-by.

Don’t use the reverse end of your chopsticks, this means that you are too hungry to pay attention to table manners.

Chopstick

Branded Chopsticks

Roughly 20 million pairs of chopsticks are used annually, with the majority being used in Japan. The most common material used to manufacture chopsticks is aspen wood, which are the disposable type found in restaurants. The aspen tree is part of the willow family and can be grown in a number of different environments, which is another reason for using this material as it is easily sustainable.

Many of the restaurants Takeaway Packaging supply want to brand their chopsticks, opting for each pair to be supplied in a printed paper sleeve. The branded sleeves offer a level of hygiene and are an excellent way to get your name out there.

Please get in touch with us for more information about branding your chopsticks, or view our Branded Chopsticks page here.