As sustainability targets tighten across Australia, more businesses are exploring custom food trays made from sugarcane and other approved eco materials. These alternatives offer a practical path toward compliance with 2025 packaging regulations — without sacrificing the performance, protection, or presentation that your brand relies on.
Whether you’re in food service, ready-meals, or retail packaging, the future is shifting from plastic-heavy designs to plant-based and recyclable solutions that meet the new EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) standards.
Why Sugarcane is Leading the Change
Among next-generation packaging materials, sugarcane (bagasse) stands out for its versatility and sustainability profile. It’s a byproduct of sugar processing, which makes it renewable, compostable, and widely available. More importantly, it meets both performance and compliance expectations for Australian brands.
Key advantages of sugarcane trays include:
- 100% Compostable and Biodegradable – Naturally breaks down in industrial composting facilities.
- Heat & Moisture Resistance – Suitable for hot foods, microwaving, and refrigeration.
- Food-Safe and Non-Toxic – Ideal for direct contact applications.
- Reduced Carbon Footprint – Derived from agricultural waste instead of virgin plastic resin.
For businesses looking to align with DCCEEW’s upcoming design grading and ARL labeling requirements, sugarcane trays are a simple yet powerful step forward.
Balancing Sustainability with Design Precision
The concern most brands face: can eco materials match the performance of traditional plastics? The answer — when engineered correctly — is yes.
At Carewell Group, we specialize in reproducing your existing tray design using eco-compliant materials. Whether it’s a multi-compartment meal tray, flat serving tray, or custom retail insert, we replicate your specifications — shape, depth, durability, and sealing ability — using recyclable or compostable materials.
Our Custom Solutions process ensures that every new material meets Australian compliance and consumer performance standards.
We guide you through:
- Material Selection: From sugarcane and PLA blends to recyclable PET and rPET.
- Regulatory Assurance: Designs verified under PREP and ARL frameworks.
- Performance Testing: Thermal, moisture, and load-bearing evaluations.
- Lifecycle Analysis: To measure environmental impact and optimize cost efficiency.
Beyond Sugarcane: Other Approved Eco Materials
While sugarcane is a leader, there are several other compliant materials that perform well across food and industrial applications:
- rPET (Recycled PET): For clear trays and cold meal packaging.
- CPET (Crystallized PET): Heat-safe and oven-ready trays.
- PLA (Polylactic Acid): Compostable and plant-based for short shelf-life products.
- Kraft & Paperboard Hybrids: Ideal for lightweight, dry food applications.
You can explore our durable CPET Trays and other eco tray options designed for recyclability and compliance under Australian standards.
Case Insight: Sugarcane Success in Ready-Meals
A ready-meal client approached Carewell looking to transition from black plastic to sugarcane trays without changing their filling line or film sealing. Our engineering team created a custom food tray using a sugarcane composite with a thin, recyclable moisture barrier.
Results:
- Seamless integration with existing sealing systems.
- Achieved ARL-approved recyclability.
- Reduced packaging-related emissions by 35%.
- Maintained shelf stability and presentation quality.
That’s the kind of outcome where sustainability and practicality coexist.
Why Work With Carewell
We go beyond supplying packaging — we build solutions that protect your brand and your products. Through our Sustainability and Custom Solutions programs, we make sure your new custom food trays not only comply with Australia’s regulatory framework but also enhance your product’s story.
You get the flexibility to choose from recyclable or compostable materials — all tested for durability, compliance, and consumer convenience.
Final Thought
The future of packaging isn’t just greener — it’s smarter. A custom food tray made from sugarcane or other eco-approved materials can help you stay compliant, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen customer trust.
Carewell’s expertise in material science and compliant packaging means your next tray can be both sustainable and strong, proving that innovation doesn’t have to come at the cost of performance.
Location: Carewell Group Pty Ltd, Unit 27/191 McCredie Road, Smithfield, NSW 2164
Phone: +61 0477 123 699
Email: sales@carewellgroup.com.au | info@carewellgroup.com.au | logistics@carewellgroup.com.au
