Eco & Sustainable Packaging · MOQ 500 pcs
A tuck-top food box with no polyethylene lining — grease resistance comes from the board and a plant-wax barrier, not from a plastic film.
Overview
Almost every takeaway box on the market is lined with a thin polyethylene layer. It costs almost nothing, it stops grease dead, and it is the reason the box cannot go into paper recycling. Removing it is the whole point of this product, and it is also where the honest limits begin.
Without PE, grease resistance comes from two places: the density of the uncoated board and an optional plant-wax or water-based barrier. That holds up well for pastries, sandwiches, dry bakes and low-oil food. It is weaker than PE against hot, heavily oiled food held for a long time, and no plastic-free box currently matches PE on that specific job. If your menu is fried food in transit, we will say so instead of selling you a barrier that fails on the counter.
Specification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Structure | One-piece tuck-top, or a two-piece tray and lid |
| Board | Uncoated food-grade kraft or white board, typically 300–400 gsm |
| Barrier | Plant-wax or water-based grease barrier; no PE and no PLA lining |
| Food contact | Food-contact compliant grades only, named on the quotation |
| Window | None — a plastic window would end the plastic-free claim |
| Water-based ink, one to four colours | |
| MOQ | 500 pcs per size and per print |
| Lead time | 12–18 days after sample approval, before transit |
| Price basis | Indicative $0.70–0.98 per piece at 500 pcs, ex-works |
Variants
Board density alone, or board plus a plant-wax barrier. Tell us what the food is and how long it sits in the box; that decides the answer, not the budget.
Kraft reads as eco and prints warmer. White board reproduces brand colours accurately and still takes a plastic-free barrier — the two choices are independent.
For hot food, a vent stops steam softening the board. It is a die-cut, not a material change, so it costs very little.
Materials
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Uncoated food-grade board | No film, no coating, food-contact compliant. The fibre is the barrier, which is why board density matters more here than on any other box we make. |
| Plant-wax barrier | A renewable, compostable grease barrier. It resists oil well at moderate temperature and noticeably less well against sustained heat. |
| Water-based ink | No solvent carrier, and no resin film sitting between the print and the food. |
Best for
Dry and low-oil bakes at ambient temperature — the case this box is genuinely designed for.
Brands whose labelling promises plastic-free packaging, where a PE lining would contradict the shelf story.
Deliveries where the customer is expected to separate waste, and the box has to survive a short trip with a low-oil meal.
Dry components and bakery items in a kit that ships without a chilled, oily payload.
Free quote
Send the basics and you will get an itemised price plus a 3D mockup with your branding.
What you get
Reply within one business day. No obligation, and no design files needed to start.
FAQ
There is one question that decides this product, so it comes first.
Keep looking
One die-cut sheet, tabbed and locked without glue, on board chosen for direct food contact. Grease resistance comes from an aqueous or PLA dispersion coating, a coated board grade or a separate liner, tested with a sample of your product before the bulk run. It travels and stores flat and assembles in seconds, which is why bakeries and takeaway counters reorder it — but on this format the barrier decides the price, not the artwork.
The large-format end of the food range: a tuck-top or self-locking box in folding board, or E-flute corrugated where the load needs stiffness. A multi-branch bakery buys this box for a fixed menu programme, so the conversation is about size, board grade and how the boxes travel — not about how many colours go on the lid. Base reinforcement, window lids and carry handles are each quoted as their own line.
The e-commerce mailer with the plastic taken out. Same job as a bubble mailer, but the padding is paper, the seal is paper tape and there is nothing inside that has to be picked out before disposal.
Get a free quote
Tell us the product, the quantity and the destination. You will get an itemised factory-direct price, a recommended structure and a 3D mockup — no design files needed to start.
Free quote
Two minutes to fill in. No design files needed to start.