The Compleat Food Group has removed plastic trays from its high-volume pork pie packaging; it now expects to reduce its plastic consumption by 110 tonnes and save 430 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.
With the Group estimating an annual output of 200 million pork pies across its brand portfolios, the removal applies to its branded and own-label products. This is set to eliminate 75% of the plastic used in its high-volume pork pie packs and cut down on emissions, all without compromising on food quality or safety.
The speed of the packaging process was previously a roadblock, with the automated packaging process requiring a pause between each set of four to six pies. However, a second stage of ‘substantial’ investment into automation equipment at its Tottle site has facilitated the transition into trayless packaging for higher-volume pork pie packs.
“The new trayless format has required numerous trials to overcome the issues we faced with wrapping the products,” explained group packaging technologist Christina Chow. “This involved a collaborative approach with our Engineering teams and equipment suppliers to ensure we can pack the products with the same efficiency and speed, whilst eliminating the tray.”
“Our move to trayless packaging for pork pies is a prime example of how innovation and investment can drive meaningful sustainability improvements,” continued David Moore, head of ESG. “While the automation required careful consideration of speed and efficiency, the result is a significant reduction in plastic use without compromising on product quality or freshness.
“This marks a huge step forward in our efforts to reduce plastic packaging across our portfolio, supporting our wider purpose to make food to feel good, taste good and do good.”
The Compleat Food Group is a signatory of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact. Disclosing that it uses over 4,000 tonnes of plastic annually, the Group reports its commitment to removing unnecessary materials, increasing recycled content, and improving recyclability.
Its wider ESG goals state the company’s interest in exploring new packaging solutions, trialling recyclable alternatives, and focusing on sustainability across its operations.
Nick Bligh, head of Packaging Innovation, concludes that the introduction of trayless packs “validates Compleat’s commitment to our packaging strategy, in particular those targets aligned with the UK Plastics Pact of eliminating unnecessary single-use packaging, through innovation.”
All the way back in April 2023, Sainsbury’s sought to use at least 50% less plastic and prevent 140 tonnes from ending up as waste by removing single-use plastic trays from its ‘by Sainsbury’s’ whole chicken range. The move was expected to contribute to the retailer’s goal of halving its own-brand plastic packaging by 2025, and the remaining film could apparently be recycled at front-of-house recycling points for flexible plastics.
In the lead-up to Christmas 2024, Aldi also announced that its seasonal Mini Pork Pie Selection would be ‘trayless’ – contributing to its wider goal to eliminate 127 tonnes of plastic packaging annually by removing plastic trays and windows from various savoury goods lines.
However, the removal of plastic components is not always received well. Sainsbury’s and Tesco faced backlash for removing the rigid lids from their own-brand houmous pots late last year; despite their intent to save 50 million pieces of plastic a year between them, the retailers were met with complaints that the new peelable lids were harder to reseal, leading to faster spoilage and increased spillages.
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:
Reuse vs. single use – which is better for the environment?
Sustainable Innovation Report 2025: Current trends and future priorities
What can the world learn from South Korea’s world-leading performance in plastics circularity?
No comments yet