Food containers and storage boxes, drawn to the millimetre

Every line has a cut sheet: a two-view drawing with the outer size of a real reference model, its capacity and gram weight, the parts a brand can change and the material each part is made from. Takeaway packaging carries the volume, food storage carries the repeat orders, home organizers carry the retail shelf.

LW-TTakeaway packaging

PP containers, starch-PP blend bowls, cutlery kits and paper boxes for takeout, delivery and bakery programs.

• LW-01PP food containersRectangular boxes, round tubs and bowls in PP with snap lids, 350-3,500 ml, for takeout, meal prep and delivery.
• LW-02Starch-based containersCorn starch and PP blend bowls, boxes and divided trays, 380-1,400 ml, described by material, not by claim.
• LW-03Cutlery setsPP spoon and cutlery kits with napkin and toothpick in OPP wrap, plus a wooden kit route for EU buyers.
• LW-04Folding gift boxesKraft and white card bakery boxes with clear lids, click-lock boxes 350-2,880 ml and pizza boxes, custom printed.

LW-FFood storage

Divided fruit boxes, vacuum containers, fridge bins and pet food bins in PP, PET, HDPE and copolyester.

• LW-05Divided fruit containersClear thermoformed PP trays in 3, 4 and 5 compartments, 1,000-1,500 ml, with PET options for cold display.
• LW-06Vacuum food containersPP or copolyester vacuum boxes with silicone seals, one-way lid valves and pumps, sold singly or in 0.5-2.0 L sets.
• LW-07Fridge organizer binsClear PET or PP fridge bins with front handles, stackable, sized for standard shelves and sold in sets.
• LW-08Pet food containersPP or HDPE pet food bins with seal lids, scoops and wheels, sized from 20 lb to 40 lb bags.

LW-HHome organizers

Collapsible boxes, cosmetic organizers, shoe and clothes boxes and desk trays in PP, PS, PET and acrylic.

• LW-09Collapsible boxesPP folding crates with molded hinges, 30-45 L, folding to 4-9 cm for storage and shipping.
• LW-10Cosmetic organizersClear drawer units and countertop grids for make-up and small items in PS, acrylic (PMMA) and PET.
• LW-11Shoe and clothes boxesClear stackable shoe boxes, magnetic front-door boxes and clothes boxes in PP, PET and ABS with PP.
• LW-12Desk organizersDrawer trays and compartment boxes for desks in PS, PP and acrylic, from shallow 7-compartment trays to deep bins.

Most problems with containers start with the wrong material. Hot food and microwave reheating call for PP; cold display and fruit call for clear PET; PVC belongs in non-heated packaging and storage such as clear folding boxes and gift box windows, never in a hot food container; paperboard carries gift and bakery boxes; starch-based containers are usually starch blended with PP, so we describe them that way. The material guide sets this out line by line.

China exported about 15.4 billion US dollars of plastic housewares in 2024, roughly 60 percent of world trade in the category, according to OEC trade data. That volume comes from specialised clusters: Taizhou counted more than 12,000 plastics producers in 2018, and Longgang near Wenzhou has grown its printing and packaging output to about 20 billion yuan. The desk works with partner plants in each cluster and keeps them on one spec sheet. See the cluster map.

1. CL-1PP takeout and thermoformed wareGuangdong plants in Huizhou, Foshan and the wider Pearl River Delta: PP boxes, bowls, soup cups and divided trays.
2. CL-2Household plastics and storageTaizhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang: storage boxes, fridge bins, vacuum containers and the molds behind them.
3. CL-3Paper boxes and printingWenzhou Longgang, China's printing town: kraft and white-card boxes, bakery boxes with windows, printed sleeves.
4. CL-4One program fileThe desk matches material to use, collects food contact documents, inspects each lot and ships one consolidated order.

A restaurant group needs heat range and stacking; a marketplace seller needs exact sizes on the listing and cartons that survive a fulfilment centre; a retailer needs shelf packaging and barcodes; a brand owner needs its own mold and printed lids. Each buyer page sets out the lines, quantities, documents and checkpoints that fit that channel.

BY-01Brand ownersCustom molds, printed lids and material documents for brands building their own container and organizer range.View program BY-02DTC brandsVacuum sets, fridge bins and desk organizers packed for parcels and checked against the causes of returns.View program BY-03Marketplace sellersShoe boxes, fridge bins and collapsible boxes in small mixed lots, measured for the listing and packed for parcels.View program BY-04DistributorsComplete size series across all twelve lines, steady replenishment and batch consistency for distribution.View program BY-05WholesalersStock PP containers, cutlery kits and paper boxes in mixed cartons with stated pack counts per carton.View program BY-06RetailersStorage and organizer ranges with shelf-ready packaging, barcodes and display planned for the retail bay.View program BY-07Sourcing agentsPlant audits, pre-shipment inspection, document packs and consolidation across the container clusters.View program BY-08Foodservice and projectsPP takeout containers, divided trays, starch-based ware and cutlery planned around the menu and supply continuity.View program

A takeout box has to hold sauce on a scooter; a meal prep tray has to freeze, stack and reheat; a fruit box has to show the fruit through condensation; a shoe box has to stack eight high. The use case decides the material, the lid and the test plan.

UC-01Restaurant takeoutPP boxes, soup cups, starch-PP bowls and paper boxes matched to hot food, sauce and delivery transport.Open page UC-02Meal prep and deliveryPP boxes and divided trays specified to freeze, stack, ship chilled and reheat per supplier marking.Open page UC-03Supermarket produceClear PET fruit boxes and PP divided trays for chilled display, cut fruit and grab-and-go counters.Open page UC-04Home kitchenVacuum containers, fridge bins and reusable PP boxes specified for seal, freezer use, stacking and shelf fit.Open page UC-05Home organizationCollapsible, shoe, cosmetic and desk boxes specified for shelf fit, stacking load, clarity and flat packing.Open page UC-06Pet retailAirtight PP or HDPE pet food bins sized by bag weight, with wheels, scoops and seal checks for retail.Open page

Injection molded boxes and thermoformed trays look alike on a photo and behave very differently in a kitchen. These pages explain how each process works, what drives mold cost and output, and which details a buyer should fix in the specification.

MP-01Injection moldingMold design, steel, cavities, T1 trial and golden sample for injection molded boxes and containers.Open page MP-02ThermoformingSheet, forming, trimming and nesting for PP takeout boxes, soup cups, clamshells and fruit trays.Open page MP-03Container materialsPP for heat, PET for clarity, PVC only for non-heated packaging, plus PS, HDPE, copolyester and board.Open page MP-04Food contact safetyDeclarations, migration tests and the US, EU and Chinese rules behind a food contact container.Open page MP-05Lids and sealsSnap-fit rims, hinges, gaskets and vacuum valves, with the tests that back each closure.Open page MP-06Printing and labelingOffset print on lids and sleeves, in-mold labels, embossed logos and printed paper boxes from Longgang.Open page

Lidwell does not own a plant. The desk shortlists partner plants by line and process, audits them against the program, follows production from resin to carton and keeps the findings in the program file, so repeat orders start where the last one ended.

OP-01Industry clustersTaizhou, Ningbo Yuyao, Guangdong and Longgang: which cluster makes which container, with sourced figures.Open page OP-02Factory auditWhat the desk checks at a container or box plant before a program starts: lines, resin, hygiene, documents, QC.Open page OP-03Production processThe stages a container or box passes at a partner plant, from resin or board to a sealed export carton.Open page

Lid fit, tilt and drop tests, freezer and microwave checks, migration tests to FDA 21 CFR or EU 10/2011 at a third-party lab, and carton compression for paper boxes: the test plan is agreed per order and every lot is checked before it leaves. Declarations and reports are issued to partner plants or to your brand per project and verified by the desk.

OP-04Quality controlGolden samples, in-process checks and pre-shipment inspection for every container and box lot.Open page OP-05Testing and inspectionThe container test list with working defaults: lid fit, tilt leak, drop, freezer, microwave, migration, cartons.Open page OP-06ComplianceWhich food contact and claims documents a container program needs, and how the desk verifies them per project.Open page

Typical starting points: stock molds from a few cartons, printed lids or sleeves from 10,000-50,000 pieces per item, new molds from 50,000-100,000 pieces, always confirmed in writing for each program. Nested containers ship 200-500 per carton, so packing decides how much fits in a container.

OP-07OEM and private labelStock molds with your print, printed lids and sleeves, or a custom mold, matched to volume and timeline.Open page OP-10MOQ and lead timeTypical MOQ, sample and bulk lead time ranges by route, confirmed in writing for each program.Open page OP-09Logistics and shippingFCL and LCL sea freight, typical transit ranges, volumetric charging, consolidation and HS references.Open page

One hundred working notes on container types, PP for food containers, where PVC belongs, microwave use, biodegradable claims and sourcing from China. Browse them all in the notes.