Celebration Packaging introduces new range of reusable, microwavable hinged-lid food containers

In response to customer demand, Celebration Packaging is pleased to announce that is now able to offer customised reusable, microwavable hinged-lid food containers for back of house / kitchen food prep applications. The reusable containers are made from virgin polypropylene (PP) and can be sent for recycling.

“We have been offering tailor-made single-use foodservice packaging products to customers for decades,” says Celebration Packaging Managing Director, Nick Burton. “Before lockdown, some of our major high street foodservice customers were looking to move away for single-use disposable plastic packaging and find reusable solutions. They approached Celebration Packaging to discover what we could offer.

“Trials have been successfully concluded with two major high street foodservice businesses and we are proud to now announce the launch of a reusable, microwavable range which would provide a solution for pre-serve portion control in meal preparation.”

The new products are made from high-clarity virgin PP, which allows users to easily identify contents, speeding up meal preparation and avoiding service errors. The packaging is easy to use, as it is delivered nested and stackable, enabling speed of service, and features easy opening lid tabs and a hinged lid.

Perfect for portion control, both the rectangular and round containers have 200ml capacity, and a 400ml (deep) round container will soon be available. Custom shapes and sizes are also available, and the containers can also be embossed with branding, subject to tooling charges.

The new range is microwavable and the rectangular range features air vents in the sides and top lid to allow steam to escape when the food is being microwaved. To make the products reusable, they are top-rack dishwasher-safe, so can be used many times.

Putting reuse at the front of ‘reduce; recycle; reuse’

“Over the few past years, the mantra for those paying attention to environmental sustainability has been: ‘reduce; recycle; reuse’, but least attention has usually been paid to the reuse aspect,” says Nick. “This new food-grade PP hinged-lid container range delivers on all three priorities as it significantly reduces the amount of plastic used in busy kitchens, can be 100% recycled at the end of its life, and is reusable.

“Switching to reusables in high-traffic kitchens significantly reduces the amount of plastic being used when replacing single-use packaging,” says Nick. “We calculated that one customer who uses the rectangular product is saving in excess of 30,000 kgs of plastic per year by switching from their previous single-use container to the new reusable product. The amount of plastic saved obviously depends on how many times the new reusable product is used before being sent for recycling, but as the range is also manufactured here in the UK, switching to these products substantially reduces an operator’s carbon footprint.”

Further increasing the versatility of the new PP microwavable and reusable range, filled containers can also be placed in a freezer if required.

“As problem solvers in foodservice packaging, Celebration has been seeking more sustainable solutions since launching our EnviroWare® range over 13 years ago,” Nick concludes. “We are proud that this latest, proven innovation successfully adds value back-of-house, while also enabling operators to improve their sustainability credentials.”