If you’ve already started searching for food packaging, you may have noticed some price differences. Two paper lunch boxes might look identical, yet one costs more than the other. Why is that? Let’s dive into the reasons together.

We’ll explore the key factors that influence packaging prices, such as the material used, any coatings applied, the thickness of the paper, whether the finish is matte or glossy, whether it’s printed, and if the design is customized. In short, many elements affect the final price, and we’ll go through them step by step.

Let’s start with the material used first. Indeed, different types of single-use food packaging exist, and this first component has a major influence on the price. 

The packaging can be made of plastic, paper, bamboo or even corn starch. Here, we will focus on paper food packaging, particularly paper lunch boxes.

The second element that can fundamentally change the price of paper lunch boxes is the thickness of the paper. There are several thicknesses of paper and packaging suppliers change it according to what their customers want to put inside their box. 

The thickness of the paper is measured in gsm, and as you will probably have already understood, the higher the gsm is, the more expensive the raw material will be. Overall, the thickness of the paper used for food packaging typically ranges from 250 to 400gsm.

Let’s talk about coating now. What is coating? It’s a thin layer of material that covers the paper, giving it special characteristics.

For example, with a suitable coating, a paper can become hydrophobic, greaseproof, and leakproof, among other properties. Depending on what you want to put in your paper lunch boxes, the coating can be adapted. If you only put dry and low-fat biscuits in it, for example, you can go without any coating. This is the most economical alternative because the paper is made from raw materials. 

On the other hand, if you put noodles with sauce, you will need your paper lunch boxes to be both leakproof and greaseproof. For this reason, most suppliers use PE coated paper. PE is a derivative of plastic. When a very thin layer is applied to the paper, it makes the paper leakproof and greaseproof.

For an aesthetic look and a cleaner finish, most paper lunch box manufacturers apply a clay coating to the exterior of the paper. This makes the paper lunch box more “pretty” with a cleaner finish.

What influences the price is also the fact that the paper is coated on one or both sides. Of course, if it is coated on both sides, it will be more expensive than if it were coated on only one side or if it were not coated at all.

Let’s continue with the particularities of paper. There are several paper finishes available: matte or glossy. Glossy paper is visually more appealing but more expensive than matte paper, which is slightly less aesthetically pleasing. However, another flaw of glossy paper is that it tends to have a little more hand marks than matte paper.

The manufacturing process also influences the final price of paper lunch boxes and this depends on their structure. Indeed if the box is only die-cut it will be quite cheap. 

In the opposite direction, if it has to be formed and glue points added, the labour will be more important and therefore it will have an impact on the production cost and therefore the final price.

Finally, design also plays a role in pricing. Whether you choose a plain white model or a custom design, the cost will naturally differ. In most cases, the more colors you want, the higher the color block charge will be.

As you can see, the price of a paper lunch box can be influenced by many factors. Understanding these characteristics will help you make clearer, more informed decisions when searching for food packaging.

At Foodabox, we help restaurants like yours find the perfect balance between cost, quality, and design. Contact us today to explore eco-friendly lunch box solutions tailored to your brand.

Ready to elevate your food brand with packaging that makes an impact? Let’s build a solution that’s sustainable, smart, and tailored to your needs.

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