Sustainable food packaging: materials, examples and the rules in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France

Paper instead of plastic, compostable film, reusable thermal boxes? Whether you wrap cheese at the counter, line produce crates or deliver chilled meals, the question is the same: which sustainable packaging is actually the better choice for food? The honest answer is that it depends on what happens to the packaging after use – and that differs between Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France.

This guide explains the terms, compares materials by use, gives real examples, and sums up the rules that apply in 2026. Every legal and disposal statement is sourced; the sources are listed at the end.

Key points

• The most sustainable packaging is the one you avoid, followed by the one you reuse. A life-cycle study commissioned by the German and Austrian environment ministries and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) found reusable cups far more environmentally friendly than disposable ones – and compostable disposable cups no better than conventional ones.
• "Bio-based", "biodegradable" and "compostable" mean different things. Only "compostable" is defined by a standard: EN 13432 – the EU standard for industrial compostability.
• Compostable plastic packaging does not go in the food waste bin in Germany, Vienna or France, even when certified. In Switzerland, the municipality decides.
• Switzerland has adopted a new Packaging Ordinance, in force from early 2027: packaging should be as recyclable as possible, with design requirements applying from 2030 according to the Swiss Packaging Institute.
• Since 2023, Germany has required a reusable option for takeaway food in single-use plastic packaging and for drinks in single-use cups; France has required reusable tableware for eat-in meals in restaurants with at least 20 covers.
• The right choice is made use by use: reusable for delivery and logistics, plastic-free paper at the counter, certified compostable material where packaging is soiled with food and hard to recycle.

What is sustainable packaging?

Sustainable packaging protects the product with as little material and environmental impact as possible across its whole life: raw material, production, transport, use and disposal. "Sustainable" and "eco-friendly packaging" are not protected terms or labels. Three questions sort real claims from marketing:

1. Is the packaging needed at all? According to the Swiss Federal Council, Swiss waste law says waste must be avoided; where that is not possible, items should be reused or recycled.
2. Can it be reused or recycled where it ends up? Packaging that is recyclable in theory but has no local collection gets incinerated.
3. Is the claim proven? A certificate number, a named standard and a traceable origin beat a green logo.

Food packaging also has a job to do: keep food fresh. Packaging that causes food waste is never sustainable, whatever it is made of.

Bio-based, biodegradable, compostable: what the terms mean

The Swiss FOEN distinguishes two kinds of bioplastics that reach consumers under different names: "bio-based" or "from renewable resources" on one side, "biodegradable" or "compostable" on the other. It adds that not all bioplastics are actually biodegradable. Conventional plastics have no place in composting or digestion plants at all. Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA) puts it the same way: bio-based plastics can be biodegradable, but often are not – bio-based PET is one example – while some biodegradable plastics are made from fossil raw materials.

For more detail, see Compostable vs biodegradable and EN 13432 vs EN 17427: what these certifications really mean.

Which packaging is the most environmentally friendly?

There is no ranking by material. There is an order of priority that authorities in all four countries rely on:

1. Avoid. No packaging beats the best packaging.
2. Reuse. Packaging used many times spreads its production impact over many trips. The FOEN cites the EURO 2008 life-cycle study, commissioned by the German and Austrian environment ministries and the FOEN: reusable cups are far more environmentally friendly than their disposable equivalents.
3. Recycle – where collection actually exists. In Switzerland, paper and cardboard are collected free of charge everywhere, according to the FOEN. In France, all packaging has gone into the sorting bin since 2023, according to the environment agency ADEME.
4. Compost – where the packaging ends up with food waste anyway. The FOEN recommends that only products likely to end up in green waste, and wanted there, be promoted as "compostable".

The same study found that disposable compostable cups made from renewable raw materials were no better for the environment than the older generation of disposables. France's ADEME adds that composting plastic packaging is not recycling. That does not make compostable packaging pointless. It means compostable packaging complements reuse where single-use is unavoidable; it does not replace it.

Sustainable food packaging: examples by use

The examples below come from our compostable food packaging range; the specifications are those on each product page.

Grease-proof paper without plastic

Many "grease-proof" papers are coated with plastic, which makes them hard to recycle. The alternative is paper treated with vegetable oil, which forms a natural barrier against grease and moisture. Our PaperLeaf sheet and PaperBag pouch are made for cheese, cold cuts and meat. According to the product pages, the paper has no plastic coating (the pouch's optional window is made of compostable material); both are recyclable and compostable, carry PEFC and TÜV OK compost HOME certification, and are made in Europe from European raw materials. Both can be printed with your branding in up to eight colours, with inks free of heavy metals. The unprinted standard PaperBag S (34 × 17.5 × 10.5 cm) can be ordered directly online.

Compostable cling film

Our compostable stretch film for food (440 mm × 250 m, 12 µm) is certified TÜV OK compost INDUSTRIAL and OK compost HOME. To communicate it accurately: it replaces fossil-based film, but it is still a bioplastic, so it is not "plastic-free packaging". Its advantage shows where film is soiled with food and would not be recycled anyway.

Reusable and recyclable insulated packaging

For chilled delivery, paper and reusables replace the single-use foam cool box. The IFoodBag is an insulated bag made of FSC-certified recyclable paper; the insulation is finely divided recycled paper between two condensation-barrier walls. It comes in 11, 15 and 25 litres. The Alvobox is a reusable insulated container in expanded polypropylene (EPP) for frozen, chilled and hot food: stackable, machine-washable, reusable for years and recyclable at the end. According to the product page, the EPP meets the EU requirements for food-contact materials under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. For B2B cold-chain logistics, this is reusable thermal packaging in the literal sense: the same box, many deliveries.

Plastic-free packaging: what really works without plastic?

Before buying "plastic-free packaging", check three things:

• Is the material itself a plastic? Bioplastics, compostable ones included, are plastics. "Plastic-free" means paper, cardboard, glass, metal or wood fibre.
• Is the coating a plastic? In Germany, packaging counts as single-use plastic food packaging for the reusable-offer rule even if it is only coated with plastic.
• Does the packaging protect the food? Grease, moisture and cold are where "plastic-free" often fails. Vegetable-oil-treated paper and paper insulation solve part of that.

More ways to cut plastic in your operation: How to replace plastic in your business.

Where does it go after use? Disposal by country

The most common misconception: "compostable" does not mean "goes in the food waste bin".

Germany. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is explicit: packaging and single-use products made from biodegradable plastics – such as cups, cutlery and plates – do not belong in biowaste collection. Packaging goes in the yellow bin, yellow bag or recycling bin. The only exception is approved biowaste collection bags: they must be certified "Bioabfall-Beutel DINplus" (the seedling logo) and meet Annex 5 of the Biowaste Ordinance – and municipalities may still ban them.

Austria (Vienna). The City of Vienna's waste advisory service states that bioplastics do not belong in Vienna's biowaste bin, even when certified compostable; they go in the yellow bin like other lightweight packaging. One reason given: Vienna's compost is produced in 8 to 10 weeks, while bioplastics need 12. Biodegradable knot bags for food waste are an exception.

France. Separate collection of food waste has been compulsory since 1 January 2024. But a ministerial order of 15 March 2022 lists exhaustively what may be collected with it: paper-or-cardboard collection bags, home-compostable plastic collection bags, paper coffee filters and tea bags, paper towels and napkins, and coffee capsules made of at least 95 % paper. Packaging not on the list may not be collected with food waste. Even for listed items, each local authority sets its own sorting rules. ADEME recommends putting all packaging in the sorting bin, including items labelled "compostable".

Switzerland. The municipality decides what may go into green waste, depending on its composting or digestion plant. Paper and cardboard are collected free of charge everywhere; according to the FOEN, remaining packaging waste is incinerated with municipal waste, with energy recovery.

Which bags are accepted for food waste, country by country, is covered in our guide Which compostable bags are allowed in food waste bins?

What this means for buyers: use compostable packaging where it will be soiled with food and cannot realistically be recycled, and print the correct disposal instruction on the pack.

What rules apply to food packaging in 2026?

Switzerland: new Packaging Ordinance from 2027

On 24 June 2026 the Swiss Federal Council adopted a new Packaging Ordinance (VerpV). It applies from early 2027 and replaces the 2000 Beverage Packaging Ordinance with rules for all packaging. According to the Federal Council:

• packaging should be as recyclable as possible and contain more recycled material;
• unnecessary packaging and substances of very high concern are to be avoided;
• at least 55 % of plastic packaging and at least 70 % of beverage cartons must be recycled;
• producers and retailers of single-use plastic packaging must offer customers separate collection.

According to the Swiss Packaging Institute (SVI), design requirements apply from 2030, the take-back obligation from 2031 and the recycling targets from 2032.

Germany: reusable-offer obligation since 2023

Since 1 January 2023, final distributors selling takeaway food in single-use plastic packaging, or drinks in single-use cups, must also offer a reusable option. According to the Bavarian environment ministry, this covers cups of any material and boxes made of or with plastic; film wraps such as sandwich foil are excluded. The reusable option may not cost more or come on worse terms. Small businesses with no more than five employees and no more than 80 m² of sales area are exempt, but must fill customers' own containers.

France: reusable tableware since 2023, and a ban on "biodegradable"

Since 1 January 2023, food-service businesses that can seat at least 20 guests must serve meals and drinks consumed on site in reusable tableware: cups, lids, plates, containers and cutlery. According to the French environment ministry, this covers fast food as well as cafeterias in museums, stadiums, stations, airports, companies and public administrations. Separately, Article L541-9-1 of the French Environmental Code bans the words "biodegradable", "environmentally friendly" (« respectueux de l'environnement ») and equivalent claims on products and packaging. Plastic products and packaging that are only industrially compostable may not be labelled "compostable"; compostable plastics must carry the words « Ne pas jeter dans la nature » (do not litter). Our stretch film's OK compost HOME certification matters here.

Compostable, recyclable or reusable: how to choose

Buying checklist for sustainable food packaging

1. Ask for a certificate number. "Compostable" without a standard proves nothing. Depending on the product, our items are certified to EN 13432, OK compost or OK compost HOME; our papers also carry PEFC or FSC.
2. Check food-contact suitability. Ask for the declaration of compliance.
3. Check the inks. For branded packaging: inks free of heavy metals.
4. Check origin and traceability. All BioApply products are manufactured in Europe, with full supply-chain traceability via QR code (Respect Code platform).
5. Check the wording for France. No "biodegradable" or "environmentally friendly" claim; "compostable" on plastic only if it is home-compostable, together with « Ne pas jeter dans la nature ».
6. Check local disposal. Ask your waste contractor before a large order, and print the right disposal route on the pack.
7. Look at reuse first, especially for delivery and logistics.

Not sure which option fits your operation? Contact us – tell us your use and your sites, and we check the local rules before you order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most sustainable food packaging?

The packaging you avoid or reuse. Where single-use is needed, recyclable paper without a plastic coating is a good choice. Certified compostable packaging makes sense where the packaging is soiled with food and likely to end up with food waste.

Can compostable packaging go in the food waste bin?

In Germany, no: the UBA says packaging made of biodegradable plastics goes in the yellow bin or bag. In Vienna, no, even if certified. In France, no: only certain bags and paper items may be collected with food waste. In Switzerland, the municipality decides.

Is paper always more sustainable than plastic?

Not automatically. Coating, weight, local recycling and how well the paper protects the food all matter. Plastic-coated paper is hard to recycle; vegetable-oil-treated paper avoids that problem.

What does "bio-based" mean?

That the raw material comes from renewable sources. It says nothing about disposal: bio-based plastics can be biodegradable, but often are not.

Can sustainable packaging be printed with my logo?

Yes. All BioApply products can be customised with your branding – for example PaperLeaf, PaperBag, IFoodBag and Alvobox. On compostable materials, we print with inks free of heavy metals.

About BioApply

BioApply has made compostable and sustainable packaging for businesses since 2006. It is headquartered in Lausanne, with an office in Lisbon. All products are manufactured in Europe, with zero polyethylene, zero GMOs and no heavy metals in inks, and can be customised with your branding.

Sources

• Swiss Federal Council / FOEN: Federal Council strengthens recycling of packaging and waste (press release, 24.06.2026, in German)
• Swiss Packaging Institute SVI: New Packaging Ordinance (26.06.2026)
• FOEN: Bioplastics – all degradable? (in German)
• FOEN: Packaging (EURO 2008 life-cycle study, disposal routes; in French)
• German Federal Environment Agency (UBA): Bio-based and biodegradable plastics (in German)
• Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment: Reusable-offer obligation (in German)
• City of Vienna waste advisory service: Bioplastics (in German)
• French Ministry for the Ecological Transition: Anti-waste law for a circular economy (in French)
• Légifrance: Article L541-9-1 of the Environmental Code and Order of 15 March 2022 (in French)
• ADEME: The limits of compostable plastic packaging (in French)