Saving Money on Plastic Food Trays

Find the most cost-efficient plastic food platters
By Kristina Seleshanko If you serve food to employees or customers, you will almost certainly find yourself saving money on plastic food trays instead of more expensive plates or aluminum or cardboard trays. Plastic food trays are the most cost-effective type of serving tray because they last a long time and are reusable. Even single-use plastic food trays are cheaper than trays of other materials.

Average plastic food trays cost between $1.50 and $3 a tray. But are there ways to make the purchase of plastic food trays even more cost effective? You bet. There are three main ways to save money on wholesale plastic food trays:

1. Buy plastic food trays in bulk.

2. Purchase basic food grade plastic trays.

3. Select plastic food storage trays from restaurant wholesalers.

Buy plastic food serving trays in bulk

Buying in bulk is an easy way to get the best price on plastic trays. Of course, you don't want to buy more trays than you'll actually use, but do buy more than you think you need. Although plastic serving trays are quite durable, some will eventually break or become dingy. You may also find you have more people needing your services in the future. Be sure to obtain samples first so you can gain a better understanding of the tray's quality before ordering a large amount.
Try:  Rapids Wholesale Equipment Company sells multicolored plastic cafeteria trays in cases. ReStockIt.com also sells plastic trays for food in bulk to qualifying businesses.

Purchase basic plastic buffet food trays

There are many fancy fast food plastic trays available; some have multiple compartments or sections and a few even have detachable compartments. But do you really need such elaborate (and expensive) trays? If plain food trays without compartments will do the job just as well, save yourself some money by purchasing them at a significantly lower price.
Try:  Ace Mart sells several kinds of basic plastic trays for restaurants, as does The WEBstaurant Store.

Select disposable plastic food trays from restaurant wholesalers

Unless you can buy in large numbers, the cheapest place to buy plastic disposable food trays is at a restaurant supply store. Look for a company that frequently sells to professional caterers, as they are most likely to have a wide variety of disposable trays. Often, online restaurant supply companies offer better deals because they can purchase in larger bulk.
Try:  GalaSource Ventures sells a variety of disposable plastic food trays at wholesale prices. Instawares offers plastic disposable hinged trays, as well as trays with separate lids.

• When purchasing plastic food serving trays, be sure to ask the manufacturer or distributor whether or not the trays are recyclable. Some are, and others are not.