Westpak have launched a breakthrough new packaging innovation that greatly improves the heat retention of delivery and takeaway pizzas. Known as ‘HeatWave’, this latest packaging innovation creates a raised and aerated platform, minimising heat dissipation through the base of takeaway pizza boxes. The product offers impressive heat retention figures as well numerous practicality and environmental benefits.
The need for innovation.
Research has shown the staggering size of the UK takeaway and delivery pizza market with consistent levels of strong market growth and consumer demand. It’s unusual that such a financially buoyant area of the foodservice industry has seen such a consistently low level of packaging innovation. The universally recognised takeaway Westpak Press Release | March 2024 2 pizza box typically features only marginal design variations and has offered no real improvements to rectify any of its long-standing design flaws. One such fundamental designs issue is the pizza box’s consistently poor level of heat-retention. Whether waiting for customer collection, or being delivered to customers directly, often through third party delivery platforms, each minute a pizza remains in its box will lower the temperature of the product, ultimately diminishing the quality of the product, reducing customer satisfaction and damaging brand reputation.
Westpak’s unique design.
The ‘Heatwave’ design has been developed as a liner sheet that seamlessly fits into existing standardised cardboard pizza boxes. As such, existing universal pizza boxes continue to remain fully usable but are simply enhanced by this additional packaging insert. The liner itself features a series of alternating concave and convex domes that lift the pizza base away from the bottom of the box. The 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.
What are the results?
Initial results show impressive heat savings: 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.
Additional benefits
Westpak’s ‘HeatWave’ liners boast several additional benefits including environmental sustainability advantages. Being manufactured from kraft paper, the liners are fully recyclable and industrially compostable. The liners also serve as additional purpose by acting as grease-shield for the pizza box itself. By guarding the pizza box from such contaminants, the ’HeatWave’ liners can help to preserve the recyclability of the heavier, more resource-intensive outer box.
‘HeatWave’ also offers excellent practicality benefits. By simply being inserted into existing pizza boxes, the product can be introduced with minimal disruption to established supply chains and logistical operations. Additionally, ‘HeatWave’ liners don’t require any gluing, folding or other means or being secured. Product integration couldn’t be simpler with liners simply being dropped into place. ‘HeatWave’ liners are supplied pre-cut to standardised common pizza box sizes allowing for the perfect fit.
Design development and market application.
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.
Chris Fiander, Head of Marketing and Creative commented “The ‘HeatWave’ pizza box liner is a true Westpak product. By combining our expertise across foodservice and fresh produce packaging, we’ve created a unique product that provides the perfect solution to a common packaging problem. Several alternative pizza box liners have been available for quite some time, but the ‘HeatWave’ range really pushes the envelope in terms of packaging performance, design and creativity.”