Fruit Salad Container Box Wholesale: The Real Cost Sheet
Before you email any factory, build the list. A buyer opening a fruit salad container box wholesale program needs five things on paper: the volume range, the lid type, the material, the carton count, and the landed cost per unit. Fix those and the quoting conversation takes two emails instead of twelve.
We run a bagasse tableware factory in Qingdao. Cut-fruit chains are one of our steadiest categories. Here is the list we make buyers fill in, plus the part most suppliers skip: where the money actually goes.
The purchase list we ask every fruit buyer to fill in
Two or three volumes, not one. Most programs run a 350 ml single portion and a 750 ml sharing size. Then lid style (flat snap, dome, hinged tuck), material target, cold-chain duration, annual volume by size, and destination port.
Spec sheet: sizes, weights, carton counts, FOB ranges
| Capacity | Top diameter | Height | Bowl weight | Pcs/carton | Cartons per 40HQ | FOB Qingdao (USD/pc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350 ml / 12 oz | 118 mm | 48 mm | 9–11 g | 500 | ~1,100 | 0.055–0.085 |
| 500 ml / 17 oz | 148 mm | 52 mm | 12–14 g | 500 | ~880 | 0.075–0.110 |
| 750 ml / 25 oz | 168 mm | 60 mm | 15–18 g | 300 | ~760 | 0.100–0.150 |
| 1000 ml / 34 oz | 185 mm | 65 mm | 19–23 g | 300 | ~620 | 0.130–0.190 |
Planning band, not a quote. A 40HQ holds 18–20 tons when bowls nest well.
Bagasse vs PET vs PP: the honest comparison
| Bagasse | PET | PP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit cost, 500 ml | $0.075–0.11 | $0.045–0.07 | $0.05–0.08 |
| Cold chain | good to ~5 days | strong, clear | strong, hazy |
| Condensation | wicks moisture | beads | beads |
| Compost certification | EN 13432, ASTM D6400, BPI | none | none |
| Customer perception | premium, plastic-free | familiar | cheap |
PET wins on price and on a 14-day wet cold chain. Bagasse wins where the shelf and the packaging policy matter.
What the landed cost really adds up to
FOB is maybe 60–70% of what reaches your warehouse. Ocean freight Qingdao to US West Coast ran $4,500–8,500 per 40HQ across 2024–25. Add duty, port fees, brokerage, drayage, and a PFAS test batch if your buyer is a grocery chain. A 500 ml bagasse bowl at $0.095 FOB often lands near $0.14–0.17. We say that on the first call — a program that dies in month three was never modeled properly.
A cut-fruit chain, two sizes, and a leaking lid
Last spring a Guangdong cut-fruit chain asked for 500 ml and 750 ml in one program, 20,000 pieces as a trial. Their first summer run came back with complaints: flat lids seeping at the rim on the 750 ml, on long truck legs where the trailer ran above 30°C. We changed the lid to a two-point clip lock and added 0.5 mm to the rim wall. Second trial held. We also told them bagasse is not a 14-day frozen product — they kept PP for the frozen SKU. That is what good cold chain means for fiber: a few days, cool and ventilated.
MOQ, tooling and lead time
Existing molds start at 30,000–50,000 pieces per size across one container. A new size needs ,500–4,000 tooling and 25–35 days of production. Print goes on lids and sleeves, not the porous bowl. See our food container range.
FAQ
What is the MOQ for custom fruit containers?
Usually 30,000–50,000 pieces per size on existing molds; a custom shape means tooling and a bigger first run.
Can bagasse containers go in the freezer?
Short term, yes. Long term, no — fiber absorbs moisture and loses rigidity. Use PP for frozen fruit.
Are these boxes home compostable?
Industrial composting is certified to EN 13432 and ASTM D6400. OK Compost HOME covers selected SKUs only, so confirm the item.
How many 500 ml boxes fit in a 40HQ?
About 880 cartons of 500 — roughly 440,000 pieces, subject to lid type and palletization.
Do you print our logo on the lid?
Yes, single or two-color flexo on lids and sleeves. Full-bleed print does not work on uncoated fiber.
Send the three numbers and we will price it
Spec list with volumes, destination port, and estimated annual quantity — that is all we need to return a real number instead of a range. Put them in our wholesale quote request and we will come back with carton counts, FOB, and freight for your port.
