Go Green with Eco-Friendly Food Packaging

Singapore’s food and beverage sector has evolved rapidly in the last decade, spurred by a rise in disposable income as well technological innovation. 

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, food delivery was making momentous inroads, with global online ordering platforms such as Deliveroo, Grab, foodpanda and Uber Eats putting a stake in the island state to garner a share of this lucrative market. 

Market researchers Statista predicts that Singapore’s online food delivery market will grow at an annual rate of 9.6% per annum between now and 2026, resulting in a projected market value of US$766 million¹. 

This boom underscores Singaporeans’ increasing reliance on food delivery services, which is rooted in the nation’s street food culture. The Coronavirus pandemic only sped demand up, as Singaporeans turned to takeaways and deliveries to satisfy their culinary cravings amid restaurant restrictions and lockdowns. 

In 2021, a Deliveroo commissioned survey found that 82% agreed that they would use food delivery services more regularly in the next few years². Aligned with this exponential growth in demand for food delivery is the emergence of dark kitchens – also known as ghost or cloud kitchens – which are essentially commercial kitchens without a storefront designed specifically to sell meals exclusively through delivery. 

In turn, this has propagated the use of plastic food packaging, resulting in more waste. Pre-pandemic, food related waste in Singapore hovered around 650 tonnes per annum³. 

There’s certainly been a hefty environmental and economic price to pay for convenience. 

In light of this environmental crisis, governments across Asia are pushing organisations to reduce waste, and Singapore is no exception. Its government introduced its Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019 with the ambition to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. 

Ostensibly, eco-friendly food packaging is becoming more common in the island nation. For instance, the Les Amis Group currently uses compostable, biodegradable and recyclable packaging where possible. And in July 2021, foodpanda launched its Sustainable Packaging Programme to retail 100% plant based eco-friendly food packaging to its restaurant partners. 

Eco-friendly food packaging comes in many forms including paperboard or kraft paper. 

OVOL Singapore currently offers a range of sustainable packaging boards that can be used to  create durable food containers. Its compostable PBS board, a bioplastic coated white board, is also heat sealable and comes in a matt or gloss finish. Bioplastics are made from plant starch and react in a similar way to conventional plastics. It is 100% plastic-free and FDA Certified (Food & Drug Administration) 

OVOL  ES and OVOL PE Food Board are another environmentally friendly materials ideal for food and beverage packaging. Fully paper board grade ranges with FDA and ISEGA certification are also available under Sinar Vanda and Rizhao brands which can be easily converted to meet your packaging requirements while offering an excellent print finish.

1. https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/eservices/online-food-delivery/singapore
2. https://qsrmedia.asia/research/in-focus/singaporeans-more-reliant-food-delivery-services-survey-reveals
3. chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/our-services/waste-management/waste-recycling-statistics-2016-to-2019.pdf