Marks & Spencer, Graphic Packaging International, and 2 Sisters Food Group are trialling a recyclable paper fibre tray for the M&S Fiery Chicken Tikka Masala product, suitable for both ovens and microwaves.
Plastics are the conventional choice for ready meal trays due to their resilience in both ovens and microwaves, each of which poses separate technical challenges.
Marks & Spencer’s new, FSC-certified tray is made of cardboard created with renewable paper fibres, and has been designed and tested for both ovenability and microwave safety – a feature set to optimize its convenience.
It can also be recycled at home in the paper recycling stream. Apparently, its thin plastic lining does not need to be removed before the tray is thrown away.
Throughout the tray’s limited run, M&S plans to collect consumer feedback and use it to inform future redesigns.
The retailer claims to have removed 75 million units of plastic from its supply chain by the end of 2024 and 500 million units as of March 2025. Going forward, it plans to remove one billion units by the financial year 2027/28.
“Our Plan A roadmap is focused on how we can become a Net Zero business across all our operations and entire supply chain by 2040 and we’re constantly looking for new ways to do things to try and take big steps along that journey,” says Andrew Clappen, technical director at M&S Food.
“We know customers care about reducing the amount of plastic packaging and we’re determined to help them by finding new materials and processes to make sure our packaging is as easy to recycle as possible.
“Plan A is a key part of the incredible quality M&S is known and loved for and this trial is another example of why our customers can trust that we’re committed to doing the right thing and giving them the confidence that they can make more sustainable choices when shopping in our Foodhalls. I want to congratulate the team on all their hard work over the last couple of years testing and trialling different materials and I can’t wait to hear what customers think of the new tray.”
Ben Fogle, Plan A Ambassador at M&S Food, adds: “M&S Food is famous for leading the way in innovation, and it’s great to see M&S launching the first to market paper fibre tray for a freshly prepped meal. Not only can it be put in both the oven and microwave, it can also be easily recycled in paper recycling at home. Innovations like this really have the potential to make a difference and reduce plastic use.”
Other recent developments from M&S include trialling paper-based packaging for its Vanilla Fudge Bar chocolate product, aiming for easier recyclability at kerbside; and the anticipated removal of almost 5.5 million units of plastic from its Clothing & Home business in the next twelve months by implementing paper packaging across its men’s essentials range.
Elaborados Naturales also sought to cater to traditional ovens, microwaves, and medium-sized air fryers by adopting Graphic Packaging International’s hermetically sealed paperboard tray for its refrigerated potato products. Said to contain less than 10% plastic, the tray claims to be recyclable without the need to remove its barrier liner.
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