A recent report from Technomic, a food industry consulting and research firm, finds that consumers are ordering more and more takeout, boosting packaging consumption. 57% of consumers order takeout at least once a week today, compared with 49% of consumers polled three years ago.

"In many cases consumers do not view takeout orders as part of the same consideration set as food purchased to be eaten in the dining room or on-site," says Technomic VP Joe Pawlak. "Operators have a real opportunity to gain an advantage if they can respond to consumers' needs for convenience, accuracy and food quality."

In order to help restaurant owners and their suppliers, Technomic developed the Takeout and Off-Premise Dining Consumer Trend Report. It is designed to help the foodservice industry better understand consumer behaviour, preferences and attitudes regarding takeout.

Among the report's findings is the discovery that about 60 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for takeout packaging made with sustainable materials. Technomic says that trends toward sustainable, recyclable materials for takeout containers are taking shape at several major restaurant brands on the chain level.