Global Foodservice Disposables

Report Overview

Regulations, sustainability, price inflation, and rapid growth in food delivery shake up the global foodservice disposables market 

Key trends covered in this report:

• The impact of sustainability, increasing regulations, and materials competition and how it varies among countries and regions
• Product innovation efforts by producers and end users to solve environmental issues while also maintaining or improving packaging performance
• The heavy impact strong growth in food delivery is having on the amount and type of disposables used
• Price inflation and how it is impacting sustainability efforts and disposable product choice, especially in developing countries

Featuring 139 Tables & 101 Figures!
 

The global market for disposable foodservice packaging and serviceware totaled nearly $80 billion in 2024. Volume demand for these products is expected to increase 2.7% per year to 3.2 trillion units in 2028, with market value reaching $107 billion. Growth reflects a variety of opposing trends:

• Continued economic growth and expanding consumer incomes in developing countries in the Asia/Pacific, Africa/Mideast, and Latin America regions will drive strong growth in the fast food and fast casual restaurant sectors, heavy users of disposable items.
• Takeout and delivery orders, especially from full-service operations (where this increases disposables per order), will continue to take share from dine-in options – particularly in developing countries.
• The continued shift toward higher cost, more sustainable disposables will boost growth in market value.
• Overall growth of disposables will be restrained by regulations, corporate sustainability initiatives, and renewed interest in reusable products as legislation targeting disposables waste expands.

Legislation Challenges Growth; Drives Opportunities for New Products & Materials

Global trends toward regulations and initiatives restricting the use of foodservice disposables – particularly single-use plastics – will continue to have a significant impact on the disposables industry. Demand for small plastics and foam disposables will see the largest negative impact as use of items such as straws is discouraged and conventional plastic disposables are replaced by renewable fiber-based options, biodegradable or compostable plastics, or reusable items. Molded fiber will experience the strongest growth among materials due to its compostability, prevalent use of waste materials in production, and image of sustainability, though concerns still linger regarding the plastic linings and coatings that have been utilized to improve its performance.

Led by China, the Asia/Pacific Region Will Drive Global Disposable Demand Gains 

The Asia/Pacific region will account for the largest absolute demand gains due to China and rapid growth in countries with low disposable usage levels:

• China has surpassed the US to become the largest global disposables market. The country has experienced significant growth in app-based food delivery in recent years, and this will help support future gains.
• Rapid demand growth in countries with lower levels of disposable use (e.g., India) will result from continued economic development, rising consumer incomes, and an expanding variety of restaurant menu items. 

Food Delivery Boom Drives Demand Worldwide & Changes Disposable Product Mix

The explosive growth of foodservice delivery worldwide, especially in markets like China and in developing countries, is driving significant shifts in the foodservice disposables industry. Clamshells are being replaced by more efficient two-piece containers that maintain food quality during transport. Expanding the viability of beverage order delivery is driving the development of alternative packaging solutions beyond cups. Larger delivery orders present an opportunity for more secure large packaging options. Disposables producers must innovate to meet demand for performance-driven food delivery packaging that prioritizes ease of use, food quality, consumer safety, and sustainability.

Annual Growth Drivers & Restraints

At its broadest level, demand for single-use foodservice products is driven by trends in foodservice revenue, which is an indicator of the number of meals eaten away from home and the amount spent on those meals. Growth in foodservice activity in turn is dependent on a number of macroeconomic and demographic factors including:

• Trends in food consumption and the mix of food eaten at home versus away from home

• The health of the overall economy and levels of disposable income, which impact the ability of consumers to spend on more expensive restaurant meals (compared to home cooking)

• Changes in the population mix, especially in terms of age cohorts (such as young adults) that are likely to eat out more often

• Trends in consumer spending, including spending on travel and entertainment, which impact foodservice sales at hotels and sports and recreation venues

• Student enrollment levels and trends in school lunch programs

Beyond these basic macroeconomic indicators, other factors that can impact the foodservice industry and demand for disposable products include:

• the mix of restaurants that are limited versus full-service, as limited service restaurants use a higher level and broader mix of disposables

• the share of total restaurant orders that are provided via drive-thru, curbside pickup, carryout, or delivery services

• the importance of the street food sector in a country and the types of disposables those vendors favor

• the size and diversity of restaurant menus, as specific disposables are often used with specific menu items

• social factors such as health concerns, which not only influence the amount consumers eat out but the type of food they purchase

• sustainability initiatives, which impact the overall level of disposables used as well as the types of products and materials used

• regulations, especially restrictions on specific materials or types of disposables

Regional Trends

Foodservice Disposables Demand by Region

Global demand for foodservice disposable products is projected to rise 2.7% per year to 3.2 trillion units in 2028. Growth will be boosted by a combination of real gains in the number of units and a shift in product mix toward higher value products. Real gains will be driven by:

• increasing consumer incomes in developing areas, which allows a higher share of food consumption to be purchased or eaten away from home

• growth in the share of restaurant meals worldwide that are obtained via delivery, carryout, or drive-thru options

• an ongoing trend toward increasing menu diversification and globalization at foodservice establishments worldwide

• the expanding share of foodservice orders from fast food and fast casual dining options in almost every country going forward, as these establishments are among the highest users of disposable products

The Asia/Pacific region will account for the largest absolute gains, driven by China. The country is now the largest global foodservice disposables market, due in part to the rapid update of app-based food delivery. Developing countries in the region (such as India), along with Central and South America and the Africa/Mideast region, will offer the best growth opportunities. Rising personal incomes and the expanding presence of global food chains throughout these regions will support strong growth.

Regulations and restrictions on single-use plastics such as cutlery, straws, and foam products and end user sustainability initiatives will continue to have a strong impact on disposables demand worldwide. Foodservice establishments are turning to higher cost replacements that are perceived to be more sustainable, such as biodegradable plastic products, paper straws, or molded fiber clamshells, and this will continue to support growth in market value.

Product Category Overview

Global demand for foodservice disposables is projected to rise to 3.2 trillion units in 2028. Demand will be boosted by the continued expansion of the global foodservice industry and the growing importance of quick-service restaurants – particularly in developing nations – which are heavy users of disposable items. However, further growth will be restrained by increasing government regulations worldwide in response to environmental concerns regarding disposables.

Regulations and end user sustainability initiatives will continue to have a strong impact on the use of disposable products in the foodservice industry. While in some cases these trends will simply result in a shift to more sustainable materials, environmental concerns are also restraining the use of disposables seen as unnecessary (such as straws) or which can be replaced by reusable alternatives (such as coffee mugs).

The expanding reach of third-party delivery services will have a mixed effect on demand. While restaurants of all types cater to customers via takeout and delivery, off premises dining orders generally use a more limited variety of disposable products.

• The growing number of takeout orders from full-service restaurants will boost usage of disposables, especially as these establishments tend to utilize larger, higher quality, and more expensive disposable containers.

• Demand for food packaging in particular is expected to benefit from growth in takeout and delivery, with are projected to continue to take share from onsite orders.

• Demand for beverage disposables such as cups will see less of a benefit, however, as takeout and delivery orders from full-service restaurants often do not include fountain beverages.

Report Details for Global Foodservice Disposables

Key Industry Participants Driving Trends

Global Foodservice Disposables Report Scope

This study examines the global market for foodservice single-use (disposable) products. For the purposes of this study, “single-use” products refers to items used in the service of food and beverages that are intended to be disposed of after use. Items with increased durability that allow multiple uses for various applications, such as plastic takeout containers, are included.

Product segments covered include:

• beverage disposables

  • cold and hot beverage cups

  • cup lids, lidding, and sleeves

  • straws and stirrers

  • fillable containers, including beverage bags and pouches, bag-in-box packaging, and bottles

• food packaging

  • containers (clamshells and two-piece containers – bases and lids)

  • boxes and cartons (corrugated boxes and folding cartons)

  • food cups, scoop cups, portion cups, tubs, buckets, pails, and related lids

  • flexible packaging, including wrap and liners and packaging bags

  • other food packaging, including foil catering/steam table pans, packaging trays and boats, pizza rounds, pizza pads, pizza box supports, cupcake inserts, and cake rounds

• serviceware

  • napkins

  • dinnerware

  • utensils (cutlery and kits and chopsticks)

  • other serviceware such as serving trays, drink carriers, moist towelettes, disposable table covers, toothpicks, frills, parasols, steak markers, placemats, doilies, tray liners, coasters, and glass covers

Demand is also segmented by material:

• • plastic, including rigid, foam, flexible, and bioplastics

  • paper and paperboard

  • aluminum

  • molded fiber (e.g., wood pulp, sugarcane, bamboo, wheat straw)

  • other materials, including wood, bamboo, nonwovens, and cellophane

Finally, demand is analyzed in terms of market:

• eating and drinking places:

  • limited service, including fast food and fast casual restaurants, coffee and snack shops, and street vendors

  • full-service restaurants, cafeterias, and bars

• retail and noncommercial markets:

  • retail stores, including grocery and convenience stores

  • noncommercial markets (e.g., lodging, catering, sports and entertainment venues, institutional such as educational and healthcare)

Excluded from the scope of this report are the following:

• disposable items used for the preparation of food or beverages that do not reach the customer or end user

• disposable cleaning and maintenance supplies

• prepackaged food or beverage items that are not filled at the foodservice establishment, such as prepackaged condiment cups, beverage bottles, pouches of apple slices, chips, or cookies, or similar items

• toys or other promotional items

• carryout bags

• reusable bags, trash bags, and grocery bags

Historical data (2013, 2018, and 2023) and forecasts for 2028 and 2033 are presented for demand for foodservice disposable products by unit and value in current US dollars (including inflation); demand data by market is presented in unit terms and current US dollars. Annual data is presented for category totals for 2020 to 2027. “Demand” (or sales) is defined as all shipments from US plants, plus imports minus exports.

In some cases, unit totals may not match the sum of individual segments due to independent rounding.