Food Packaging Options in NZ: A Straight-Talking Buyer's Guide

Step 1: Know Your Packaging Categories

Food packaging in New Zealand falls into a handful of clear categories. Get familiar with these before you order anything.

• Boxes: Pizza boxes, burger boxes, cake boxes. Corrugated or solid board. Used when the food needs structure and some insulation.
• Containers: Hinged-lid clamshells, round and rectangular tubs. Common in fish and chip shops, sushi stores, and hot food counters.
• Cups: Hot cups, cold cups, bubble tea cups. Sizing matters more here than almost anywhere else.
• Bags: Paper bags, flat-bottom bags, greaseproof liners. The workhorse of takeaway — cheap, fast, and disposable.
• Wraps and liners: Greaseproof paper, butcher paper, chip paper. For wrapping burgers, lining baskets, or wrapping fish.
• Lids and accessories: Cup lids, container lids, straws, cutlery, sauce cups. The things you forget to order until you run out at 6pm on a Friday.

Most operators need products from at least three of these categories. Start by listing what you actually send out the door each day.

Step 2: Understand the Main Materials

The material your packaging is made from affects cost, performance, and how your customers feel about your brand.

Material	Common Uses	Strengths	Watch Out For
Kraft paperboard	Burger boxes, cake boxes, bags	Good print surface, sturdy, recyclable	Not leak-proof without a liner
Corrugated board	Pizza boxes, large delivery boxes	Insulating, strong, stackable	Heavier than solid board
Bagasse (sugarcane pulp)	Clamshells, plates, bowls	Compostable, handles heat well	Higher unit cost than plastic
PLA (bioplastic)	Cold cups, lids, some containers	Clear, looks like plastic	Needs industrial composting — home bins won't do it
CPET / PP plastic	Microwave containers, deli tubs	Leak-proof, heat-tolerant	Not compostable, check your council's kerbside rules
Foil / foil-lined board	Fried chicken boxes, hot food containers	Retains heat, grease-resistant	Not recyclable in most NZ streams

There's no single best material. A bagasse clamshell is great for a hot lunch bowl. It's overkill for a cold side salad. Match the material to the food, not to a marketing trend.

Step 3: Match Packaging to Your Operation

The right packaging depends on what you cook, how you sell it, and how far it travels before someone opens it.

• Pizzerias: Corrugated pizza boxes are the standard. Make sure the size matches your pizza diameters — a loose box lets the pizza slide and arrive cold.
• Burger joints: Kraft burger boxes or clamshells. If your burger has wet toppings or a sauce-heavy patty, use a container with a tighter seal. Greaseproof paper wraps are good for a dine-in presentation.
• Cafes: Hot cups with matching lids, cold cups for iced drinks, paper bags for cabinet food. Get your cup sizing right — most NZ cafes run 8oz, 12oz, and 16oz as their core three.
• Sushi stores: Clear-lidded trays or sushi trays with film. Customers want to see the product before they buy.
• Fish and chip shops: Chip paper, greaseproof liners, and paper bags. Some operators are moving to bagasse trays for a cleaner look.
• Bubble tea bars: PP cups sealed with film. The cup diameter must match your sealer machine — measure before you order.
• Dessert kitchens: Clear PET containers for visual appeal, kraft boxes for slices and pastries.
• Food trucks: Lightweight, stackable, and compact. You don't have the storage a bricks-and-mortar shop does, so order smarter, not bigger.

Step 4: Compare Your Options Side by Side

Here's a quick comparison of the most common container types Kiwi operators use for hot food.

Container Type	Heat Retention	Leak Resistance	Compostable Option Available	Best For
Corrugated pizza box	High	Low (open base)	Yes (unbleached kraft)	Whole pizzas, flatbreads
Hinged clamshell (bagasse)	Medium-high	Medium	Yes	Burgers, hot lunch bowls, chips
Kraft burger box	Medium	Low-medium	Yes	Smash burgers, gourmet burgers
PP deli container with lid	Medium	High	No	Soups, sauces, cold salads
Foil-lined fried chicken box	High	Medium	No	Fried chicken pieces, wings
Bagasse bowl	Medium-high	Medium	Yes	Rice bowls, noodle boxes, poke

If you're switching materials for sustainability reasons, check with your local council first. What's compostable in one region isn't always accepted in another.

Step 5: Get Your Quantities and Ordering Right

Ordering packaging in New Zealand is straightforward if you plan ahead. Here's what to think about before you place an order.

1. Count your daily covers. If you send out 80 burgers a day and you want a two-week buffer, you need at least 1,200 boxes on hand before your next order arrives.
2. Check what's stocked vs. what's made to order. Stocked lines ship faster. Custom-printed packaging has longer lead times — plan weeks ahead, not days.
3. Order cut-offs matter. We dispatch stocked lines on orders placed before 4pm on NZ business days. Miss that cut-off and your order goes the next day.
4. Don't mix up sizes. A 9-inch pizza box and a 10-inch pizza box look similar in a product photo. Measure your product first.
5. Think about storage. Flat-packed boxes take up less room than pre-assembled ones. If your storeroom is tight, flat-pack is worth it even if it takes an extra 30 seconds per order.

If you're unsure what quantities to start with, order a sample first. Better to test a small run than commit to a full pallet of the wrong thing.

What to Do Next

You've got a clearer picture of food packaging options in New Zealand. Now put it to use.

Browse our full catalogue at franklypackaging.co.nz/products and filter by category or material. If you're comparing specific products, the size specs are on every product page — don't guess, check the dimensions.

Need help working out what to order? Use our contact form or call us direct. We know the products, we know the industry, and we won't waste your time with a sales pitch you didn't ask for.