How to choose packaging for catering and events

Whether you're catering a private function, organising a corporate event or coordinating food vendors at a large festival, choosing suitable packaging goes beyond finding a product that works for the food being served. Other considerations include the type of food, how it will be transported and consumed, venue requirements and available waste collection services all influence which packaging is appropriate. This guide explores the practical considerations involved in selecting packaging for catering and events, from reducing unnecessary materials to understanding certifications, event organiser requirements and planning for recovery and processing post use.

Start with what you actually need

Before selecting packaging, consider where it can be avoided or reduced.

• Situation dependent, if your venue has re-use systems you can access, is collecting and washing cups, plates practical? Some venues might have collection and return systems for cups in place for example, assess what you need/don’t need. 

• Consider dispensers for condiments and other items normally supplied in individual portions. That way people can squeeze on their sauces and go, no extra packaging required. 

• Match serving sizes and packaging quantities to expected attendance to avoid unnecessary packaging material volumes. 

• Avoid unnecessary secondary packaging and accessories. Make opt in the default, not everyone wants a straw or napkins. How much packaging do you give away that is not needed in the first place?

Where single-use packaging is necessary, choose products suited to the intended application considering the venue or event organiser packaging guidelines and contracted services.

View our guide to hot food packaging 

View our guide to selecting packaging for cold drinks

Understand venue and event packaging requirements

Before purchasing packaging, check whether the venue, event organiser or local authority has specific requirements for food and beverage serviceware.

Council-funded events or those held on council-managed properties may be subject to waste reduction targets and procurement policies. Other organisers may have their own waste diversion targets, approved packaging lists or restrictions on particular materials, while some have no formal guidelines in place.

Requirements can vary between events, even within the same region, depending on event policies, waste collection arrangements and receiving facilities. A product permitted at one event may therefore be excluded from another. Understanding these requirements early will help ensure packaging selections align with any conditions of trade.

For events involving multiple food vendors, organisers should establish and communicate packaging requirements before suppliers place orders.

Questions to ask event organisers or venues:

• Is there an approved or prohibited packaging list?

• Are reusable systems available or required?

• Are compostable cups, containers, lids and cutlery permitted?

• Which certifications or supporting documents are required?

• Who is responsible for confirming packaging compliance?

Where restrictions apply, it's worth understanding whether they are based on legislation, processing facility acceptance or an event-specific policy. These are not necessarily the same thing.

Understand compostability certifications

To ensure your packaging is suitable for its intended composting pathway, ask your supplier for current product-specific certification and/or independent testing evidence. This should identify the relevant compostability standard, the product covered and any applicable conditions or limitations.

Certification provides a basis for assessing a product's compostability, but it does not automatically establish acceptance by an event or receiving facility. Independent certification provides evidence that a product has been assessed against a recognised standard. Relevant standards include:

• AS 4736: Industrial compostability under specified conditions.

• AS 5810: Home compostability under specified conditions.

• EN 13432: Requirements for packaging recoverable through industrial composting.

• ASTM D6400: Industrial compostability requirements for qualifying plastics.

Home and industrial compostability certifications describe different testing conditions. They should not be interpreted as equivalent.

Certification does not automatically mean acceptance.

For example, an industrially compostable PLA-lined cup may meet a recognised compostability standard but still be excluded from an event's accepted materials because the receiving facility does not process that type of packaging due to cycle times or variable conditions of heat and moisture achieved. 

At the same time, certain products, including kraft packaging, paper napkins, paper straws and wooden cutlery, are generally accepted based on their material category but not all paper and timber items are processed the same. In some cases event organisers may not be aware. Organics services collecting compostable packaging require that this packaging is certified because this ensures that this packaging is suitable for composting, that it has been tested and does not contain additives like PFAS or coatings that will contaminate the final compost product. 

Not all packaging marketed as environmentally friendly has the same material properties or end-of-life options. Terms such as biodegradable, plant-based and compostable should not be treated as interchangeable. A product manufactured from renewable materials is not necessarily compostable, and compostable products may require specific processing conditions.

What is accepted at events - those decisions should be based on verified product information and the requirements of the actual processing system, rather than broad material categories alone.

For more information about certification standards and disposal pathways: read our End of Life guidance.

Confirm what happens to packaging after the event

Selecting packaging is only one part of planning an effective waste management system. An event may provide dedicated organics bins, but that does not necessarily mean all compostable packaging can be placed in them. Some collection services accept food scraps only, while others may accept specified compostable packaging products.

Without a documented waste management plan or clear information from the organiser or waste management contractor, it can be difficult to establish which materials will be collected, who is responsible for collection, where those materials will be sent and whether they will be processed as intended.

The requirements of the receiving facility are particularly important. Processing technologies, contamination controls and operational policies can influence which materials are accepted. This is one reason waste management arrangements and packaging requirements can differ between events.

What should traders ask event organisers?

If you're catering or trading at an event, ask the organiser how waste management will operate before purchasing packaging. Depending on the size and nature of the event, this information may be provided through a waste management plan, vendor handbook, site map or pre-event briefing.

Key questions include:

• Collection arrangements: Will food scraps and compostable packaging be collected separately from general waste? Which specific products are accepted?

• Bin locations: Where will collection points be positioned, and will traders have access to separate back-of-house waste facilities?

• Signage and sorting: Will bins clearly identify accepted materials, and will staff or volunteers be available to help attendees sort their waste?

• Collection responsibilities: Who will empty and manage the bins throughout the event? Is a dedicated waste management contractor involved?

• Processing destination: Where will collected materials be sent, and has the receiving facility confirmed which packaging it accepts?

• Contamination management: What happens if unacceptable materials are placed in organics bins?

For event organisers, providing this information to traders early helps align packaging purchasing decisions with the collection systems being implemented.

Plan collection and disposal at the event

Even appropriately selected packaging can end up in the wrong waste stream without clear collection arrangements.

Consider:

• Providing clearly labelled bins at food service and dining areas.

• Positioning collection points where waste is generated.

• Using consistent signage that identifies accepted materials.

• Briefing staff and vendors on sorting requirements.

• Monitoring bins during the event to reduce contamination.

Collection arrangements should reflect what the receiving facility actually accepts.

READ MORE: A guide to our packaging materials

Event and catering packaging checklist

Before placing your order, confirm:

• Can unnecessary packaging be eliminated or reusable alternatives introduced?

• Is the packaging suitable for the food, drink and service conditions?

• Have venue, council and event-specific packaging requirements been checked?

• Are current product-specific certifications and/or independent testing reports available from your supplier?

• If your packaging isn't approved, have you asked what criteria are used to assess equivalent products?

• Has the waste contractor confirmed which materials are accepted and where they will be processed?

• Do you know where collection points are located, how waste should be sorted and who is responsible for collection?

• Have you confirmed any packaging requirements with your staff or catering team?

Making informed packaging decisions

There is no single packaging solution suitable for every catering operation or event. The most appropriate choice depends on how packaging will be used, the event location, and the waste collection and processing services available.

Waste management arrangements can vary considerably. Some events engage specialist contractors to manage collection, sorting and recovery for processing, while others rely on existing venue facilities or general waste services. The presence of compostable packaging does not necessarily mean that a system is in place to collect and process it.

Understanding these arrangements, alongside event-specific packaging requirements and verified product information, helps traders and caterers make informed purchasing decisions, avoid unnecessary costs and identify opportunities to improve landfill diversion outcomes.

Need help checking your packaging for an upcoming event?

If you're unsure whether your packaging meets an event's requirements, we can assist.

Send us the event details, any packaging guidelines you've received and the products you're planning to use. We can review the available product specifications and certification evidence, help identify potential issues and advise on what to clarify with the event organiser or waste contractor. hello@ecoware.co.nz