Latin America Foodservice Disposables

Report Overview

What’s Driving the Next Wave of Growth in Latin America’s Foodservice Disposables Market?

Legislation, Logistics, Globalization & Cost Constraints -- Disposables Must Evolve as Latin America Foodservice Industry Develops

Key Themes Covered in this Report:

• How single-use plastic bans are accelerating the shift to molded fiber, paperboard, and bioplastic alternatives
• Why food delivery growth is reshaping container preferences—boosting demand for two-piece, tamper-evident, and heat-retentive formats
• The evolving role of disposables in Latin American QSR, street food, and coffee chains—balancing sustainability, brand identity, and local compliance

Demand for single-use foodservice products (foodservice disposables) in Latin America is forecast to increase 2.8% per year to 95.6 billion units in 2028. Growth will be driven by:

• a shift in product mix toward higher-value products driven by environmental regulations
• an expansion of the fast casual restaurant sector
• strong growth in food delivery

Sustainability Mandates Drive Material Substitution and Product Innovation

Plastic bans and broader environmental regulations in cities and countries across Latin America are accelerating a shift away from traditional plastic and foam products. As governments implement restrictions on items such as straws and stirrers – particularly in urban centers and tourist-heavy areas – operators are adopting more sustainable packaging materials like molded fiber, paperboard, and certified compostables. While cost and supply challenges persist, these shifts are unlocking higher-value opportunities for disposables suppliers that can offer compliant, durable, and attractive alternatives.

Fast Food & Fast-Casual Expansion Fuels Shift Toward Higher-Performance Food Packaging

Growth in fast-food and fast-casual restaurant formats continues to drive broad-based demand for disposables in Latin America. These establishments rely heavily on single-use items for operational efficiency, consistency, and branding. As limited service chains expand across urban centers and secondary cities, they bring scalable, repeatable demand for a wide range of products – including food containers, cutlery, napkins, and beverage packaging. Suppliers that can meet the quality, volume, and compliance expectations of these operators will find steady opportunities for long-term growth.

Growth in Food Delivery Is Redefining Packaging Functionality & Expanding Market Potential

The continued expansion of app-based food delivery services is altering packaging requirements throughout the region and expanding the potential market for disposables. A key factor is the shift occurring within the full-service restaurant segment—a large and traditionally reusable-oriented sector—where growing delivery activity is increasing the use of disposable packaging. Operators increasingly demand containers that can maintain food quality during transit, accommodate multi-item orders, and offer tamper-evident features. This is driving a shift to more durable two-piece containers and modular packaging systems. Suppliers that prioritize functional performance – particularly in heat retention, leak prevention, and structural integrity – will be able to capture a larger share of this high-growth market.

Historical Trends & Growth Drivers

Demand for single-use foodservice products is driven by foodservice revenue, which indicates the number of meals eaten away from home and the amount spent thereon. Growth in foodservice activity is dependent on several 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 not only food but also travel and entertainment, which impacts foodservice sales at hotels, and sports and recreation venues

Other factors that impact the foodservice industry and disposables demand 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 importance of the street food sector in a country and the types of disposables those vendors favor

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

• 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 foods they purchase

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

• environmental and health issues, such availability of safe drinking water

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

Regional Trends

Foodservice Disposables Demand by Subregion

Demand for single-use foodservice products (disposables) in Latin America is forecast to increase 2.8% per year to 95.6 billion units in 2028, valued at US$5.8 billion. Market gains will be driven by increasing consumer incomes and other demographic factors, which are in turn boosting growth in the region’s restaurant, lodging, and entertainment sectors.

Women’s increasing participation in the region’s labor force has boosted the number of dual income households in the region. With two streams of income, these households have more resources to spend on eating out and less time to cook at home, which together fuel demand for dining out or ordering food via delivery or takeout.

Latin America is characterized by the presence of large emerging markets, such as Brazil and Mexico, as well as a number of smaller but still fast developing economies, such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Growing urbanization across the region will drive demand as delivery and takeout levels are higher in urbanized areas. In addition, expansion of the foodservice industry in these countries as well as in countries with underdeveloped foodservice sectors will provide good opportunities for disposables suppliers.

Another key factor driving demand for disposables will be continuing active investment in the region by international chains. These global operations not only focus more on takeout and delivery orders but also tend to use greater levels of disposables than locally-owned restaurants and also may use higher-value disposables as well. International chains also are more likely to invest in restaurant water treatment equipment, which enables the use of soda fountains and, by extension, disposable cups.

Increasing concern with the recyclability and sustainability of single-use products has led to rising restrictions on plastic disposables, especially in more populous cities and areas with high levels of international tourism. These restrictions boost opportunities for higher-priced paper, bioplastic, and other alternative materials, which will further drive growth in market value. However, lack of enforcement, the cost effectiveness of plastic and foam products, and culturally-entrenched consumer preferences will maintain plastic’s leadership in many product categories for the foreseeable future.

Product Trends

Demand for single-use foodservice products (disposables) in Latin America is forecast to increase 3.1% per year to 95.7 billion units in 2028, valued at US$5.5 billion:

• Growth in units will continue to be driven by the development of the region’s foodservice sector, increasing personal incomes, growth in the share of the market held by limited service establishments, and an increase in carryout and delivery orders. These drivers will be offset by sustainability initiatives and growing restrictions on single-use plastic products that are reducing the use of unnecessary items such as straws, napkins, and lids.

• While cost pressures from general price inflation are moderating, market value will be boosted by a shift toward higher-value disposables for both performance and sustainability reasons. The continued market penetration by international restaurant chains will also play an important role in moving the market toward higher value products.

Serviceware will continue to control the largest share of the regional market in unit terms due to the high numbers of small, low-cost items such as napkins and cutlery used in the region. Some parts of Latin America use a significant amount of very low-priced wax paper napkins in addition to the more conventional napkins used elsewhere in the world.

Beverage disposables hold a much smaller share of the disposables market in Latin America compared to more developed countries despite the region’s high level of soft drink consumption. This results primarily from the very poor water quality found in many countries in Latin America and a related reliance on prepackaged beverages instead of fountain drinks. In addition, cost constraints often limit the number of straws, stirrers, and lids that are given with beverage orders.

Demand increases for food packaging will be boosted by the expansion of the limited service restaurant sector and continued growth in large international and regional restaurant chains, which tend to use more and higher value disposables. In addition, the growing popularity of carryout and delivery orders will boost demand for food packaging even at restaurants that previously relied mostly on reusable items.

Report Coverage for Latin America Foodservice Disposables

Key Industry Participants Driving Trends

Latin America Foodservice Disposables Report Scope

This study examines the Latin American market for foodservice single-use (disposable) products. For the purposes of this study, “single use” products refer 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 beverage cups

  • hot beverage cups

  •  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

  • dinnerware

  • napkins

  • 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, sports and entertainment, education, institutional)

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 related 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. “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.