Packaging Materials for Better Eco-Friendliness

The packaging materials used in Hesburger restaurants have constantly become more environmentally friendly, and there is less packaging using lighter materials. Carefully selected packaging materials and methods save a considerable amount of unnecessary packaging waste each year. In addition to this, we aim for practices that minimize the use of packaging material. For example, straws and lids are not automatically provided with drinks.

Compostable Materials

Today, Hesburger hamburgers are always served in a wrapper. An environmentally friendly, decomposable coating gives these biodegradable wrappers their moisture-resistance. Fries are also served in biodegradable bags.

Forest-Friendly Beverage Cups

Hesburger’s cold and hot beverage cups are PEFC-certified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes). Forest certification ensures that forest management compliant with the standards of sustainable development is taken into consideration in the cup manufacturing process. The origin of wooden raw material used in products can be traced all the way back to the forest. Cups are manufactured by Hesburger’s long-time partner, Huhtamäki Foodservice Finland Oy.

Due to the EU directive on reducing single-use plastics (2019/904/EU), Hesburger’s hot and cold drink cups were marked with the required plastic label in summer 2021. Huhtamäki has replaced the cardboard it previously used for cups to options with a lower plastic content (share of plastic under 5% of product weight). Plastic is used in paper cups to prevent the cup from absorbing liquid and to seal seams. The new low-plastic cups are designed to be just as safe as the ones currently in use.

Fibre Lids

In 2025, Hesburger will switch to using fibre lids for both hot and cold drinks. The lids are entirely made of renewable, certified natural fibre, and they can be recycled as cardboard or composted by households and industrial facilities. Together with our partner Huhtamäki, we continue to develop even better lids.

Wood Fibre Cutlery

In 2025, Hesburger will introduce wood fibre cutlery manufactured by Nature Line Cutlery Oy, made from renewable raw material using side streams from the wood industry. The material is a fully wood-based biocomposite of softwood fibre and pine oil-based renewable bio-polypropylene. The cutlery is dishwasher safe and can be reused if customers wish to wash it at home. However, we will not be washing any cutlery at Hesburger. Restaurants will dispose of it as mixed or energy waste.

Packaging Materials

Hesburger packaging materials, recycling instructions, and country of material/product manufacture (as of April 11, 2025; recycling and disposal depend on local systems and guidelines)

• Hot drink cups: single-side PE-coated cardboard and uncoated cardboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; EU/Finland
• Cold drink cups: double-side PE-coated cardboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Finland/Finland
• Fibre lids: renewable natural fibre; compostable (household/industrial) or cardboard recycling; China/Germany
• Ice cream cups: double-side PE-coated cardboard; cardboard recycling; EU/Poland
• Drinking straw: cardboard; paper recycling; Finland/Finland
• Spoon: wood + carnauba wax; energy waste; China/EU
• Drink stirrer: wood; mixed/energy waste; EU/China
• Wood-fibre fork and knife: wood-based biocomposite; mixed/energy waste; Finland/Sweden
• Salad box: grease-resistant cardboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Finland/Finland
• Ketchup cup: paper; biowaste, industrial compost, or energy waste; Canada/Canada
• Paper bag 1 kg, paper bag 3 kg, paper carrier bag: brown kraft paper; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Czechia/Serbia
• Burger collar: folding boxboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Finland/Finland
• Tortilla sleeve: grease-resistant cardboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Finland/Finland
• Nugget box: grease-resistant cardboard; cardboard recycling or energy waste; Finland/Finland
• Fries bag: grease-resistant paper; cardboard recycling or biowaste; UK/Germany
• Burger wrapper: bleached grease-resistant paper; cardboard recycling, industrial compost, or energy waste; Finland/Finland 

Watch video:

Packaging for Better Eco-Friendliness

Read about how we have reduced the amount of plastic in our packaging materials.