New Year, New Takeaway Bag: Sustainable Swaps For 2025

As 2024 comes to a close and we embrace 2025, it prompts a moment of reflection—both for BioPak and the businesses we support. How did we do in 2024? What was our impact? And what does the year ahead look like?

From new product releases to making a meaningful difference through our Give Back Fund, 2024 was a year to remember. 

Looking forward to 2025, the clock is ticking on single-use plastics. Legislation is tightening, consumers are demanding more from the brands they support, and the impacts of plastic waste are impossible to ignore. So for foodservice businesses, 2025 is an opportunity to switch to sustainable packaging – for business, people, and the planet. 

So, read on as we reflect on our 2024 impact and look at how you can become a part of the change in 2025. 

All it takes is a few simple sustainable swaps, starting with your takeaway bag.  

We’re constantly researching the most sustainable materials and products, and 2024 was a shining example of that. 2024 saw the launch of PHA, the first home compostable coffee cup (pending certification) on the market with no fossil-based plastic. PHA is produced through a fermentation process using renewable resources, like plant sugars and vegetable oils.

In 2024, we also joined forces with Huskee – founders of the reusable Original HuskeeCup made from waste coffee husk that otherwise would have gone to landfill. We’ve always held a vision of a circular economy – and now we recognise that the best way to make the transition in the foodservice industry is by adopting reusables and compostables, hand in hand. By adopting both compostables and reusables, we can effectively transition to sustainable practices that benefit the planet and our communities.

In 2024, we continued to make a meaningful impact through the BioPak Give Back Fund. We started the BioPak Give Back Fund in 2012 and since have dedicated our time, energy and a total of $5,298,081. 

In 2024 alone, we avoided 24,455 tonnes of plastic, planted 51,129 trees, donated 300,002 meals, and impacted 216,490 lives by redistributing medical supplies. This wouldn’t be possible without the businesses that partner with us. 

With plastic bans taking place around the world and businesses being held more accountable to their ESG goals, there’s never been a better time to switch to sustainable packaging solutions. 

So, why not start 2025 with new packaging?

Let’s take a look at some simple swaps in a typical takeaway bag. 

❌ Traditional plastic bags are derived from finite fossil fuels and take thousands of years to break down, with the only viable end-of-life option being in landfills. 

✅ Swap this with FSC™ Paper Bags. They’re durable, sourced from responsibly managed forests, and are suitable for home and industrial composting. A Forest Stewardship Council certification takes into account measures like water use, energy use, community support and the end product’s overall environmental rating.

Now, let’s take a look at the simple swaps inside the bag … 

❌ Plastic containers have been the default takeaway packaging option for years. But they’re typically derived from finite fossil fuels and take thousands of years to break down.

✅ Swap this for Plant Fibre Containers. 

Plant Fibre Containers are made from rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp – an extremely strong and versatile solution. Plant fibre has a significantly lower impact than plastic containers when we consider the overall eco-score and eco-cost. Plus, plant fibre can be used to create a range of different shapes and solutions, from classic rectangle containers to bento boxes and oyster trays. 

❌ Traditional coffee cups are made with a plastic lining, which typically can’t be recycled in Australia and many countries around the world, leaving the only viable end-of-life destination as landfill.  

✅ Swap this for PHA-lined or Aqueous-lined Coffee Cups.

PHA cups are soon to be certified home compostable (AS5810) with no fossil-based materials. Plus, PHA resin is certified marine biodegradable – so if it accidentally ends up in the sea, it will break down significantly faster than conventional plastic. Aqueous cups are made with a water-based dispersion coating and are certified home compostable to Australian and European standards (AS5810 & NF T51-800). 

Pair our PHA or Aqueous cups with a plant fibre lid, and you have a completely home compostable solution. 

❌ Traditional plastic cups are made from finite fossil fuels, contribute to the massive plastic problem and take thousands of years to break down. 

✅ Swap this for PLA-Lined Cold Cups.

PLA-Lined Cold Cups perform like conventional cups, but they’re made from FSCTM paper and lined with IngeoTM Bioplastic (plants, not oil). They’re certified Industrially Compostable to Australian and European standards (AS4736 & EN13432).

❌ Plastic straws suck. They’ve become a symbol of the sustainable packaging movement, with thousands of plastic straws winding up in pristine environments, oceans and waterways every single year. 

✅ Swap this for FSC™ Paper Straws. 

They’re made from paper sourced from responsibly managed forests, come in a range of colours and sizes, and are suitable for home composting. The average cafe could avoid XX kgs of plastic just by switching to paper straws. 

Finally, let’s swap the cutlery in your takeaway bag. 

❌ Plastic cutlery is made from finite fossil fuels and is a significant contributor to the plastic problem. 

✅ Swap this for Plant Fibre or FSC™ Wooden Cutlery. 

Strong and sturdy, Plant Fibre Cutlery is made from rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp and certified home compostable to Australian standards (AS5810). It has a significantly lower impact than plastic containers when we consider the overall eco-score and eco-cost. 

Our Wooden Cutlery is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a certification which makes sure wood is sourced from responsibly managed forests, taking into account sustainability measures like water use, energy use, community support and the end product’s overall environmental rating. FSC™ Wooden Cutlery is suitable for home composting. 

By switching your takeaway packaging from plastic to compostable in 2025, you’ll not only be future-proofing your business against any impending plastic bans, you’ll also improve your ESG goals and appeal to the hearts and minds of conscious consumers. 

By partnering with BioPak, you’ll also become a part of our greater impact: our Give Back Fund. Every year we donate 5% of profits to positive change, and at the end of the year, we let our loyal customers know just how much they contributed through a custom impact certificate. 

So you won’t just be making a simple swap from plastic to compostable solutions – you’ll be planting trees, donating meals and positively impacting lives. 

In just one year, If the average cafe or foodservice venue switched their takeaway bag in 2025, they’d make a big difference over the course of the year. 

*Impact data is calculated based on switching traditional plastic packaging to Paper Bags, PHA Cups, PLA Cold Cups, Sugarcane Containers, Sugarcane Cutlery and Paper Straws. 

Based in Singapore, BellyGood is a premium halal-certified catering company for any and every occasion. BellyGood is embracing sustainability by making the switch from traditional plastic packaging to BioPak’s certified compostable alternatives – like Plant Fibre Bento Boxes (compartment trays), FSC™ Wooden Cutlery, and PLA BioBowls. 

Toast Martinborough is a food and wine festival in New Zealand, dedicated to food and wine, good times and sustainability. By making a few simple sustainability swaps, like opting for Plant Fibre Containers and FSC™ Wooden Cutlery, Toast Martinborough achieved a 97% resource recovery rate in 2024. 

Wahaca is on a mission to create the most insanely delicious Mexican food, while treading as lightly as possible on the planet. See how three simple packaging swaps – including a custom-made taco tray – have made a big difference to Wahaca’s sustainability results, all while ensuring food is delivered fresh and piping hot.