Eco friendly food packaging
What is a food box thermal liner?
A food box thermal liner is the insulating layer inside a chilled delivery box that holds temperature in transit. Dufaylite engineers liners from paper honeycomb to the exact box dimensions and temperature requirement. They are rigid enough for automated packing lines, and they go into the household kerbside paper collection alongside the outer box.
Thermal box liners
At Dufaylite, we might not be in the business of supplying outer box packaging, but we’ve got the inside covered (literally). Thermal box liners, crafted from paper honeycomb board, are the go-to primary packaging solution, designed to snugly fit inside a carton. They’re not just about fitting in; they excel at keeping goods cool, fresh, and in perfect condition during transit. With first-rate insulation and robust strength, these liners ensure products arrive just as they should – fresh, intact, and at the right temperature.
To learn more about the paper honeycomb board that makes these thermal box liners exceptional, check out the Envirolite page.
More perks?
- Kerbside recycling: Easy for consumers.
- Quick installation: Packed in no time.
- Eco friendly: 100% recycled paper.
- Ultra-light: Lightest option available.
- No odour: Stays fresh even when wet.
- Moisture control: Manages excess moisture.
- Cost-efficient: Saves you money.
- Gold-standard service: Certified to BRCGS AA grade.
- Regulation-ready: Compliant with packaging regulations.
Dufaylite is the only paper honeycomb provider in the world to hold the BRCGS AA Global Food Safety Standard. Envirolite food box liners are kerbside recyclable in standard paper streams and have an independently verified lower carbon footprint (CarbonQuota — see our carbon footprint study). Dufaylite is certified Carbon Neutral Britain™ and FSC® (C186880).
Independently verified carbon footprint study for food packaging
The results speak for themselves:
- 35–60% lower carbon footprint compared to lamb’s wool
- 50–70% lower carbon footprint compared to expanded polystyrene (EPS)
Per box (for food delivery applications):
- Paper honeycomb: 0.16–0.26 kg CO₂e
- Lamb’s wool: 0.42 kg CO₂e
- EPS: 0.56 kg CO₂e
These results were independently verified and certified by CarbonQuota, providing you with accurate, third-party data to support your sustainability claims, customer communications, and tender submissions.
When you choose our thermal box liners, you’re choosing food-safe packaging with high-performance insulation, complete recyclability and proven carbon savings. It’s everything you need to protect your products and your brand.
Choosing a food box thermal liner: the four materials compared
Four materials compete to line a chilled delivery box, and they separate more sharply on cost, packing speed and end-of-life than they do on thermal performance.
Where each one stands
- Paper honeycomb — goes straight into the kerbside paper collection with the outer box, uses the least material per box because trapped air does the insulating, carries no Plastic Packaging Tax exposure, and is rigid enough to drop into an automated packing cell.
- Sheep’s wool — arrives inside a plastic film bag, so it is not a single-stream kerbside item; it carries roughly double the EPR liability of paper honeycomb on our own analysis, and its floppy form generally restricts producers to hand-packing.
- EPS — rigid and cheap up front, but not accepted in household kerbside collections, and increasingly excluded by retailer packaging policies.
- Multi-layer corrugated — recyclable in the paper stream, but it needs four or five layers of board to reach comparable thermal performance, and every box has to be folded and assembled on the line.
The carbon comparison
Envirolite® Honeycomb Board produces 0.16–0.26 kg CO2e per delivery box, against 0.42 kg CO2e for sheep’s wool and 0.56 kg CO2e for EPS. That is a 35–60% lower carbon footprint across its entire lifecycle compared to a sheep wool insulation alternative, and a 50–70% lower carbon footprint compared to an expanded polystyrene insulation alternative. Read the full carbon footprint study.
Certified by CarbonQuota, study DUF01_003, June 2025. Full study: CarbonQuota case study. The EPR comparison is Dufaylite’s own analysis.
What happens to the liner in your customer’s kitchen
There is a large gap between what a material can do at end of life and what a household actually does with it.
A sheep’s wool liner arrives sealed inside a plastic film bag. To recycle it properly, your customer opens the bag, separates the wool, then takes the film to a supermarket soft-plastics collection point, because film is not accepted kerbside. The wool itself can be composted or returned through a producer scheme.
In practice, on a weeknight with dinner to make, very few households do any of that. The wool and the bag go into general waste together.
A paper honeycomb food box thermal liner asks for none of it. It is paper. It goes into the kerbside paper and card collection alongside the corrugated outer box — no separation, no trip to a shop, no return scheme, no film bag anywhere in the process.
Since Simpler Recycling came into force across England on 31 March 2026, kerbside paper and card collection is standardised. The route your customer needs is the one they already use without thinking about it. We cover this in more depth in our guide to chilled food delivery packaging.
Specifying a food box thermal liner for your box
Every liner is engineered rather than picked from a range, and there is no standard-format constraint to design around. Our equipment adjusts size, cell structure, facing type and geometry freely — the liner fits your box, rather than your box accommodating the liner. It is the same bespoke engineering process we apply across the wider Envirolite® range.
- Cell size — 8mm, 15mm, 27mm or 47mm, influencing insulation behaviour and rigidity.
- Thickness — 6mm to 100mm, set against the temperature you need to hold and for how long.
- Facings — recycled paper or kraft, depending on the application.
- Geometry — a single flat blank: a base the size of your box footprint with four sides attached by partial cuts, cut to your dimensions and any product cavities.
Why one flat piece is what makes it automate
The liner is a single blank — a base the size of your box footprint with four sides attached by partial cuts. It stays flat until it is pressed into the box, and the box walls push the four sides up as it slides in. A packing cell picks one blank and presses it home: no folding, no assembly, no separate walls to place. Wool is floppy and resists automation entirely; multi-layer corrugated has to be folded and assembled on every box.
Food safety and the adhesive
Two details matter particularly in food. The adhesive is water based, VOC free and PFAS free. And Dufaylite holds the BRCGS AA Global Food Safety Standard — we are the only paper honeycomb provider in the world to hold it. BRCGS is determined by a manufacturer’s processes rather than by the material, so suppliers across all four liner materials may hold certification; the distinction is that within paper honeycomb, Dufaylite is uniquely certified to AA. The standard itself is published by BRCGS.
Send us your box dimensions, your temperature requirement and your weekly volume, and we will engineer a liner and get a sample to you. Request a sample.
Envirolite: Packaging done differently
STEP 1
We’ll start with a friendly chat to understand your needs. We’ll discuss your current food packaging, specific temperature targets, timeline, budget, annual order volumes, whether you require chilled or frozen products, and box sizes and volumes. No lock-ins, no hard sell (our honeycomb does that for us).
STEP 2
Next, one of our ‘Dufayliters’ – our green gurus – will visit your site to clarify your requirements and review your current packing processes. We’ll even take away your existing packaging to create a bespoke solution tailored to your needs.
STEP 3
We’ll return with your newly designed internal box liners and ask you to re-pack your perishable items, including our thermal temperature gauge. You send this back to us, and we monitor the temperature throughout the delivery process.
STEP 4
Finally, we’ll re-visit you with a detailed report outlining the findings of our temperature trial test. This assesses the performance of our eco friendly box liners working with your product.
What you can expect from us…
Commitment to a greener future
We’re not just talking the talk – we’re walking the walk. Our eco friendly food packaging is crafted from 100% recycled and recyclable materials, so you can serve up sustainability with every delivery. Whether it’s chilled packaging or fresh products, together, we can make a big impact, one box at a time.
Tailored innovation
No two food businesses are alike, and we get that. Our design team thrives on creating bespoke packaging solutions that tick all your boxes – whether you need insulation for fresh goods or a reliable, sustainable food packaging option. Innovation is in our DNA, and we’re ready to bring that spark to your packaging.
Crafted in the UK, delivered with care
When it comes to quality, we don’t cut corners. Every single product, from biodegradable food packaging to insulated box liners, is crafted right here in the UK, ensuring the highest standards from start to finish. Plus, our service is as seamless as our packaging – no stress, no delays, just exceptional solutions delivered right when you need them.
Expertise with a side of sustainability
With decades of experience under our belts, we can safely say, we know what we’re doing. By mastering the craft of sustainable food packaging, from thermal food boxes to honeycomb insulation, every solution we offer is designed with both your products and the planet in mind. So your goods stay fresh, your brand stays green, and your customers stay happy.
Bespoke solutions, made for you
Your business is unique, and so are our packaging solutions. We specialise in creating tailored designs that perfectly fit your product’s needs, from custom sizes and insulation to branding that reflects your identity. Whether you need sustainable packaging for chilled goods or durable protection for fresh products, we’ll craft a solution that’s a seamless fit for your business.
Collaboration at every step
Our process is built around partnership. From the very first conversation, we work closely with you to understand your challenges and goals, ensuring the solution we deliver is exactly what you need. By staying in constant collaboration, we make sure your packaging is not only sustainable but also perfectly aligned with your vision and values. We’re here to help you succeed – together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to make the switch?
Contact Dufaylite today to explore how we can tailor our packaging solutions to meet your unique needs. Together, we’ll drive smarter, greener choices for your business.
