Wagamama launches recyclable cPET takeaway box with better heat resistance and protection

        Wagamama, a Chinese fast food chain in the UK, launched a takeaway bowl made of crystallised PET (cPET) in August. The cPET bowl was developed by industrial design consultancy Morrama. It has strong heat resistance and content protection functions, and is recyclable.

        Wagamama began to contact Morrama in 2021, planning to gradually replace its 330 tons of new plastic materials used for takeaway boxes each year, planning to use materials made of 70% recycled content, and improve delivery services and consumer experience.

        Ramen Road explored bio-based and biodegradable materials during its collaboration with Morrama. But they ultimately believed that plastic was necessary to maintain the taste and temperature of certain dishes and ensure that food would not spill during delivery. Morrama worked with a thermoformed food packaging supplier to develop a recyclable solution using crystalline PET (cPET). "cPET is a food-safe material made from 70% post-consumer recycled content from the European waste stream, including recycled PET food trays and food packaging. cPET is suitable for top seals and fluid packaging." Morrama added.

        The company says cPET has “excellent” heat resistance and sealing properties, as well as a highly effective barrier to oxygen, water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. This helps reduce the risk of contamination, improve food quality and extend shelf life, Morrama says.

        Jo Barnard, director of Morrama, explains: “The ‘c’ in cPET stands for crystallisation. This process increases the hardness and toughness of PET, ensuring it can withstand higher temperatures.” Therefore, helping to reduce the risk of contamination, improve food quality and extend shelf life.

        Currently, only Ramen Road’s takeaway bowls are made from cPET, while the lids are still made from recyclable polypropylene (PP). The two companies plan to make 100% of their packaging cPET by 2023.

        Throughout the redesign of the takeaway bowl, the designers considered a range of factors, including how the bowls are stacked, how to remove excess material, and how to maintain the specific qualities of Ramen Road’s different dishes, such as crispy squid. Other takeaway meal packaging formats include food boxes made from seaweed, which Just Eat is piloting, using technology from Notpla. According to the pilot report, 83% of consumers believe that the brand's use of sustainable packaging will influence their choice of restaurant.

        The new packaging has a light sandy tone, which not only reflects the sustainable tone, but also ensures that the material is more easily identified and picked up by scanners at recycling plants. The new cPET takeaway bowl was launched in August. Ramen Road expects to use cPET bowls in all its restaurants and delivery kitchens in October once the old packaging inventory is cleared.