The universal takeaway pizza box design has typically only ever seen marginal design variation and has offered no real improvements for any of its long-standing design flaws – including poor heat-retention and limited recyclability. Poor heat-retention diminishes the quality of the product, reducing customer satisfaction and damaging brand reputation. ‘Heatwave’ has been designed as a liner sheet that seamlessly fits into existing standardised cardboard pizza boxes. The liner features alternating concave and convex domes that lift the pizza from the bottom of the box. This dome design also keeps the surface-area in contact with the pizza base to an absolute minimum. The aerated under-layer provides a highly effective thermal barrier, dramatically reducing heat dissipation through the base of the box.
12-inch pizzas have been shown to be 27% hotter after 15 minutes with the liner. Similarly, 10-inch pizza has been shown to be 22% hotter after 15 minutes. This dramatic boost in heat-retention is perfectly suited to quick delivery timeframes.
HeatWave is also designed to enhance overall recyclability. This is achieved via two distinct sustainability benefits. Firstly, being manufactured from kraft paper, the liners are fully recyclable in-line with standardised UK recycling systems and are also industrially compostable. Secondly, the liners also act as grease-shields for the pizza box itself. Recycling plants reject huge volumes of cardboard each year due to excessive grease and oil contamination. And of course, that only represents contaminated cardboard that has been fed into the recycling system. Many consumers will simply place excessively contaminated pizza boxes into non-recyclable waste systems. By guarding the pizza box from excessive oil contamination, HeatWave liners can help to preserve the recyclability of the far heavier and more resource-intensive outer box.
HeatWave also offers excellent practicality benefits. By simply being inserted into existing pizza boxes, the product poses minimal disruption to established supply chains and logistical operations. This avoids the environmental cost of existing pizza box stock being made obsolete. HeatWave also doesn’t require any gluing or stapling – further helping to reduce its resource demands. Product integration couldn’t be simpler with pre-cut liners simply being dropped into place.
The HeatWave concept was officially unveiled at the 2024 Packaging Innovation exhibition at The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. Westpak are also the exclusive UK distribution partners for their partnering liner manufacturer. ‘HeatWave’ is currently being rolled out for trialled across several pizzeria chains. As part of HeatWave's development, Westpak have undertaken additional temperature trials conducted in collaboration with catering professionals. We have also been in discussion with a range of major pizza chains including Pizza Express, Franco Manca, Prezzo and The Big Table Group. We are expecting the first orders of HeatWave to be placed with us imminently.