Vertical · Institutional Foodservice
Compostable school lunch trays, at cafeteria scale.
School districts, hospital networks and contract caterers serve millions of meals a year from compartment trays. Ecofy manufactures compostable school lunch trays from sugarcane bagasse: a 5-compartment school tray, a deeper 5-compartment tray and a 6-compartment institutional tray, with matching compartment plates and bowls. We ship wholesale, by the container, to the foodservice distributors, wholesalers and importers that supply school districts.
Buyer's Reality
What institutional procurement teams are facing.
Four pressures define every institutional foodservice contract. Buyers specify the same range as school food service packaging, institution meal packaging or lunch trays for schools, depending on whether the brief comes from a district, a hospital group or a contract caterer. Compostable lunch trays and food trays with compartments come from the same tray range; what changes between a school and a patient dining program is the depth and the compartment count, not the material.
Cost pressure on institutional contracts
School district and hospital foodservice budgets are tight. Compostable trays have to be justified against polystyrene at procurement review, so landed cost per meal matters more than unit price.
Durability under high-turnover handling
Cafeteria trays get dropped, stacked, reheated. Thin, low-weight compostables can crack and leak. Institutional use demands the heaviest-duty bagasse spec.
Microwave and reheat performance
Hospital meal trolleys reheat in commercial microwaves. School cafeterias hold meals in steam tables. Material must perform at 100°C+ without warping.
Bid documentation and foam restrictions
District and distributor bids ask for food-contact, compostability and PFAS test reports up front, and some US states and cities restrict polystyrene foodservice ware. A supplier that cannot produce the reports at evaluation is out of the bid.
Product Fit
SKUs that fit institutional programs.
Trays
5CP school trays and 6CP institutional trays for cafeteria portion control. Stack-friendly, durable.
Compartment Plates
9" 3CP and 11"/12" 4CP plates for school lunches, hospital meals, and corporate cafeterias.
Bowls
8 oz to 16 oz bowls for soup, dessert, and side service. Microwave-safe for institutional reheating.
Recommended for schools and institutional foodservice: compostable cafeteria meal trays, compartment plates for school and hospital meals, and microwave-safe bagasse bowls for soup and side service. For multi-year contracts, see our wholesale institutional supply.
Specifications
Compostable school lunch tray specifications
Three disposable school lunch trays cover most school and institutional menus. Figures are from our product specifications; each tray page carries the full sheet.
| Tray | Compartments | Size (mm) | Size (in) | Weight | Per carton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5CP school tray | 5 | 225 x 205 x 24 | 8.9 x 8.1 x 0.9 | 22 g | 500 |
| 5CP deep tray | 5 | 264 x 237 x 33 | 10.4 x 9.3 x 1.3 | 33 g | 250 |
| 6CP institutional tray | 6 | 300 x 224 x 32 | 11.8 x 8.8 x 1.3 | 38 g | 250 |
All three are 100% sugarcane bagasse with no plastic lining, microwave- and oven-safe to 220°C (428°F) for 20 minutes, and resistant to oil and sauce without PFAS coatings.
Replacing Styrofoam 5-compartment school trays
A widely sold US foam 5-compartment school tray measures 8.25 x 10.5 inches. None of our trays is a drop-in match for that footprint: the 5CP school tray is smaller in area at 8.9 x 8.1 inches, and the 5CP deep tray is closer in area at 10.4 x 9.3 inches. Before switching from polystyrene foam (often called Styrofoam), check three things against the tray you use now:
- the footprint in your carts, racks and any sealing equipment;
- compartment sizes against the portions on your menu;
- how trays will be held, stacked and reheated during service.
We send sample trays so your team can test them on the line before a bid. Build a sample kit.
Recommended SKUs
Recommended products for schools and institutions
Compartment trays and plates our school, university and institutional canteen buyers order most for portion control and high-volume service.
Specs
5CP Bagasse School Tray
22g · 225×205 mm · 5CP · 500 per carton
View specs
Specs
5CP Bagasse Deep Tray
33g · 264×237 mm · 5CP deep · 250 per carton
View specs
Specs
6CP Bagasse Meal Tray
38g · 300×224 mm · 6CP · 250 per carton
View specs
Specs
3CP Bagasse Meal Tray
20g · 225×225 mm · 3CP · 500 per carton
View specs
Specs
9" 3CP Bagasse Compartment Plate
15g · 225 mm dia · 3CP · 500 per carton
View specs
Specs
10" 3CP Bagasse Compartment Plate
20g · 225 mm dia · 3CP · 500 per carton
View specs
Regulatory Fit
Documentation for district and institutional bids.
India · FSSAI
FSSAI compliant for institutional foodservice and contract catering buyers in India.
USA · FDA
SGS test report to FDA 21 CFR 176.170, the rule for paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods, plus a PFAS-free declaration, for school district and distributor bid packs.
EU · Compostability
Intertek compostability report to ASTM D6868:2021, tested to EN 13432 methods. Under the EU Packaging Regulation compostability is mandatory only for a short list of items such as tea bags, so EU buyers who need it set it as a tender specification.
A
BRCGS
Certified
Manufacturing Facility
Made in our 150,000 sq ft Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) facility.
Single-site plant in Paithan MIDC, Maharashtra, built ground-up to BRCGS Packaging Materials standards. Production, in-house tooling, QA lab, and packaging all under one roof. Direct expressway access to Nhava Sheva (JNPT) for container-load exports to 30+ countries.
150K
sq ft
single-site facility
BRCGS
A
Packaging Materials
30+
countries
exports via JNPT
SGS
+ Intertek
lab test reports
- BRCGS Grade A, SGS FDA 21 CFR 176.170 report, Intertek ASTM D6868 report (EN 13432 methods), SMETA audited (Sedex)
- In-house design, tooling, prototyping for custom-branded SKUs
- Direct manufacturer, no middlemen, no markups, full traceability
Where we ship
Compostable institutional trays, shipped to 30+ countries.
Made in India and exported to importers and distributors worldwide. Full-container loads leave Nhava Sheva (JNPT) on FOB or CIF terms, with the BRCGS Grade A certificate, FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and ASTM D6868 test reports your buyers ask for.
Procurement Questions
Answers for institutional sourcing teams.
What documents do you provide for school district bids?
An SGS test report to FDA 21 CFR 176.170, an Intertek compostability report to ASTM D6868:2021 (tested to EN 13432 methods), a PFAS-free declaration, our BRCGS Grade A certificate and a SMETA ethical trade audit (shared via the Sedex platform). Cover pages are on our certifications page, and full reports with a PFAS-free declaration come with every quotation and sample order.
See our certifications and test reportsAre trays microwave-safe for hospital meal trolleys?
Yes. Our bagasse trays are microwave- and oven-safe to 220°C (428°F) for 20 minutes. Reheat and oil ratings are listed on each SKU spec sheet.
How durable are trays in cafeteria-grade handling?
Heavy-duty molded fiber built for cafeteria stacking, handling and steam-table holding. The 6CP institutional tray (38 g) and 5CP deep tray (33 g) are the heaviest trays in the range.
Explore heavy-duty compartment traysCan you support multi-year institutional supply contracts?
Yes. Long-term volume contracts (typically 12 to 36 months) are standard for institutional buyers. Quarterly volume reviews and reserve capacity blocks supported.
How does cost compare to polystyrene trays?
Bagasse trays usually cost more per unit than polystyrene. Where polystyrene foodservice ware is restricted there is no like-for-like comparison, and the figure that matters is landed cost per meal at container volume, which we quote per destination.
Do you supply school meal trays in bulk to institutional distributors?
Yes. Ecofy ships school meal trays at container-load volumes to foodservice distributors, wholesalers and importers serving school districts, hospitals and corporate canteens. The 5CP school tray packs 500 per carton and the 6CP institutional tray 250 per carton, so a full container covers a district-scale program.
See bulk compartment traysWhat lunch tray sizes work for school cafeterias?
Three trays cover most menus. The 5CP school tray is 225 x 205 mm (8.9 x 8.1 in) and 22 g, with five compartments for a main, sides and dessert. The 5CP deep tray is 264 x 237 mm (10.4 x 9.3 in) and 33 g, for larger portions. The 6CP institutional tray is 300 x 224 mm (11.8 x 8.8 in) and 38 g, with a sixth compartment for hospital trolleys and canteens plating a wider menu.
What are school lunch trays made of?
Disposable school lunch trays are usually made of polystyrene foam or of molded plant fiber such as sugarcane bagasse, wood pulp or other plant fibers. Ours are molded from 100% sugarcane bagasse, the fiber left after sugarcane is pressed for juice, formed under heat and pressure with no plastic lining and no PFAS coating. Fiber trays differ by supplier, so check the material on the spec sheet.
Are fiber school lunch trays compostable?
Ours are tested compostable to ASTM D6868 by Intertek, using EN 13432 test methods. That standard covers industrial composting, so the trays need a commercial composting service, not a home bin or landfill. Before switching, confirm that your district's hauler or composter accepts food-soiled fiber trays.
Do you sell directly to school districts?
We supply at container scale, mainly through the foodservice distributors, wholesalers and importers that hold district contracts. Districts running their own bids can request samples and bid documents directly.
Build a sample kitQuote within 48 hours
Submit your institutional program specifications.
Tell us your district or network size, program scope and destination markets. Pricing returned within two working days.