Replacing Polystyrene: What Dublin Takeaways Switch To, and What It Costs Per Box

By Bernard Colgan, Discount Till Rolls. Last updated 5 October 2026.

Quick answer: Polystyrene food containers have been banned in Ireland since July 2021. Most Dublin takeaways replace them with three formats: bagasse (sugarcane fibre) boxes for hot, wet meals, kraft clamshells for burgers, hot dogs and handheld food, and windowed kraft boxes for deli and bakery counters. From our current range, that works out at roughly €0.13 to €0.38 per box + VAT, depending on size and format.

Contents

• Why Dublin Food Businesses Are Moving Off Polystyrene
• Which Materials Hold Up to Hot, Wet Food?
• What the Polystyrene Ban Means for Your Takeaway
• The Straight Swap for a Polystyrene Tray
• Hot Dogs, Wraps and Deli Counters
• Cost Per Box: What Switching Actually Costs
• Four Questions to Match a Box to Each Dish
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Dublin Food Businesses Are Moving Off Polystyrene

Ireland's single-use plastics rules have changed how Dublin takeaways, cafés and food trucks buy packaging, and for most kitchens the switch is now a routine part of ordering rather than a one-off project. This guide covers the practical replacements for a polystyrene tray: what holds up to hot food, what each format costs per box, and how to match a box to your menu without overbuying.

Most packaging guides lump everything together under "compostable", which isn't much use when you're standing in the kitchen deciding what the curry goes in. In practice, three product families cover almost every Dublin takeaway menu, and each one solves a different problem. You'll find all three in our compostable takeaway containers range.

Which Materials Hold Up to Hot, Wet Food?

It comes down to the material, honestly. Not whatever's printed on the side of the box.

• Bagasse (sugarcane fibre): moulded and rigid, naturally resistant to grease and moisture. Handles curries, stews and rice dishes.
• Kraft board clamshells: hinged lids, good for burgers, hot dogs, wraps and greasy handheld food.
• FSC-certified kraft with a window: for deli and bakery counters where the customer needs to see the food.

When a supplier calls something compostable, look for EN 13432 on the specification sheet. That's the European standard for packaging that breaks down in industrial composting, which is different from home composting. For a fuller side-by-side of the materials, including where plastic still makes sense, see our comparison of bagasse vs kraft vs plastic takeaway containers.

What the Polystyrene Ban Means for Your Takeaway

Under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, transposed in Ireland by the European Union (Single Use Plastics) Regulations 2021, expanded polystyrene food containers and cups can no longer be placed on the market. It's a market restriction, not a levy, so you can't absorb the cost and carry on. Any polystyrene stock left in the back room is a compliance risk and cash tied up in boxes you can't use.

The bit that catches people out is cutlery. Plastic cutlery, stirrers and straws are banned too, and that includes bioplastic "compostable" versions. A takeaway that swaps its boxes but still hands out plastic forks hasn't finished the job. Wooden and paper cutlery covers it.

For cups, lids and the rest of the café side of the rules, our guide to the latte levy and single-use plastic rules in Ireland goes into more detail.

The Straight Swap for a Polystyrene Tray

For most takeaways, bagasse is the closest like-for-like replacement for a polystyrene box. It's moulded from sugarcane fibre, stays rigid under a full portion of curry and rice, and doesn't need a plastic lining to hold grease.

Capacity is where the decisions get made:

• The 8-inch square bagasse box suits a rice box or a single hot main.
• The 9x9-inch bagasse box takes burger and chips or a generous curry without the lid straining.
• For canteens, schools and full-plate service, the 3-compartment bagasse box keeps a main and two sides apart.
• For burgers specifically, the 6-inch bagasse burger box is PFAS-free, which matters as EU rules on those chemicals tighten.

You can see every size in our bagasse meal boxes range.

Format	Best for	Plastic lining
8" square bagasse	Rice boxes, hot mains	None
8" bagasse, 3 compartment	Full-plate service, canteens	None
9x9" bagasse	Burger and chips, curry portions	None
6" bagasse burger box (PFAS-free)	Burgers, breakfast rolls, wraps	None

Hot Dogs, Wraps and Deli Counters

Clamshells suit food that's longer than it is wide, or food that needs to stay closed on the way to the customer. The hinged lid shuts without squashing what's inside.

The #13 hot dog clamshell is the elongated one. A hot dog, baguette or wrap sits flat in it, which a square box just can't manage. For a standard main, the #10 1000ml clamshell is usually the first one Dublin takeaways reach for. The full set of sizes is in our burger boxes range, and there's a size guide in burger boxes and clamshells explained.

Deli counters and bakeries need something else again: a box the customer can see into. The 850ml Lunchipak uses FSC-certified kraft board with a cellulose acetate window, and the 1200ml size covers bigger portions. The window is industrially compostable, but it's worth knowing that cellulose acetate is still classed as a plastic under the single-use plastics rules, so we don't describe these boxes as plastic-free. See all sizes in our Lunchipaks range.

Cost Per Box: What Switching Actually Costs

The useful way to plan for compostable packaging is cost per box, not cost per case. Here's how our current range works out, based on case price divided by case quantity. All prices are + VAT.

Product	Case quantity	Price per box (+ VAT)
6" Bagasse Burger Box	200	€0.13
#13 Kraft Clamshell Hot Dog Box	200	€0.19
#10 Kraft Clamshell Lunch Box 1000ml	200	€0.22
10" Kraft Pizza Box	100	€0.23
8" Bagasse Meal Box	250	€0.24
8" Bagasse 3 Compartment Meal Box	250	€0.24
9x9" Bagasse Meal Box	200	€0.38

The spread is wider than most operators expect. A burger box at €0.13 and a large meal box at €0.38 are both compostable, but they're doing different jobs. If you do pizza, our pizza box sizes guide covers 7 to 16 inch, and the full range is in kraft pizza boxes.

Every order ships free across Ireland from our Dublin 12 warehouse. Ordering regularly or in bigger volumes? Open a credit trade account for trade pricing and invoiced orders, or ring us on +353 (0)1 443 3964.

Four Questions to Match a Box to Each Dish

Go through this for each takeaway item on your menu:

1. Is it wet or dry? Curry, stew or saucy pasta needs bagasse. Dry or greasy handheld food can go in a kraft clamshell.
2. Is it longer than it is wide? Hot dogs, baguettes and rolled wraps need the elongated #13, not a square box.
3. Does the customer need to see it? Deli, bakery and meal-prep items sell better in a windowed Lunchipak.
4. What's the actual portion size? Match capacity to the serving, not to whatever box you already stock.

Once those are answered, the format mostly picks itself. Running a mixed menu where one box has to cover several dishes? The 9x9-inch bagasse box handles burger and chips, rice boxes and curries. For a deeper walk-through by dish type, see how to select the best takeaway food containers.

Where to Start

If there's still polystyrene in the back room, that's the first job. It can't be sold on, so it's just taking up space. After that, start with your best-selling dish, find the box that suits it, and work down the menu. Most kitchens we supply end up with three or four formats, not ten. Buy those by the case and the cost per box stays where it should be.

Shop Bagasse Meal BoxesShop Compostable Takeaway ContainersOpen a Trade Account

Frequently Asked Questions

Are polystyrene takeaway boxes banned in Ireland?

Yes. Expanded polystyrene food containers and cups have been banned from the Irish market since July 2021 under the European Union (Single Use Plastics) Regulations 2021. Plastic cutlery, stirrers and straws are covered by the same rules.

How much does compostable takeaway packaging cost per box?

From our current range, between about €0.13 + VAT for a 6-inch bagasse burger box and €0.38 + VAT for a large 9x9-inch bagasse meal box. Clamshells and pizza boxes sit in between, at roughly €0.19 to €0.23 + VAT.

Can bagasse boxes go in the brown bin?

It depends on your waste collector. Bagasse is designed for industrial composting, and not every brown bin service accepts compostable packaging. Our guide to disposing of compostable packaging in Ireland explains what to check.

Is compostable the same as biodegradable?

No. Compostable packaging is certified to break down under set composting conditions, while "biodegradable" has no fixed timeframe or standard. We break down the difference in compostable vs biodegradable vs recyclable.

About us: Discount Till Rolls Ltd is an Irish company supplying food businesses since 2007, operating from Unit 4 Naas Road Ind. Park, Old Naas Road, Bluebell, Dublin D12 DE7K. Orders placed before 1pm dispatch the same day. Call +353 (0)1 443 3964 or email Sales@discounttillrolls.ie.