It was a dark day in cluttered kitchen drawers across the globe when it was announced that iconic kitchenware brand Tupperware was on the verge of collapse.

Despite the fact that no self-respecting kitchen can function without at least eleventy-hundred Tupperware containers on the go at any one time, the brand had struggled with years of declining sales and mounting debts. The company filed for bankruptcy in September 2024.

While a group of lenders came out of the woodwork to buy the rights to the brand, they also drastically scaled down the business, only continuing to operate in eight core markets – the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Korea, India and Malaysia. Tupperware Australia – which first launched in Australia in the early 1960s – closed its doors in 2024.

But now, the brand that launched a thousand searches for the right-fitting lid has returned to Australia.

Related story: Check your font: there’s a difference between pyrex and PYREX

What we know about Tupperware’s new range

The new Tupperware line-up features seven collections, covering everything from storage solutions and meal prep to lunchboxes and water bottles, all made using high-quality, durable materials. All products are BPA, PFAS, PFOA and PTFE free. 

Credit: Supplied

Who invented Tupperware?

Tupperware was invented by a US chemist and businessman called Earl Tupper. In the 1930s, he found a way to take a waste byproduct of the oil-refining process, purify it and mould it into lightweight, flexible, durable plastic containers. The inspiration for the containers’ airtight ‘burping’ seal came from the design of a paint can lid. 

While Tupper might have invented Tupperware, it was a woman called Brownie Wise who made it a runaway success. When Tupperware was first launched in stores in the mid-1940s, the public was suspicious of plastic. They also didn’t understand how the ‘burping’ seal worked. Sales were very slow. 

Credit: Supplied

However, Wise had been enjoying great success selling Tupperware at house parties. When Tupper found out about this, he pulled his product from all stores, made Wise his company’s vice-president and head of all sales, and began selling Tupperware exclusively at house parties. And so the magic began. 

You can check out the full range of new Tupperware at tupperware.com.au

Related story: 25 retro kitchen relics every Aussie remembers (and your parents probably still own)