Today, Marks & Spencer has announced a trial of a paper fibre alternative ready meal tray, on its fan-favourite Fiery Chicken Tikka Masala. The first-to-market tray is still as convenient as ever, suitable to be cooked in both the microwave and the oven.
Made of renewable paper fibre, the FSC-certified tray is available in stores and on Ocado from today. It is easily recycled at home as paper, with no need to remove the thin plastic lining.
The retailer is trialling a limited run of the new paper fibre tray to gather real customer feedback on the new material. Innovations such as this offer a glimpse into the future with alternative packaging options even on challenging products like meals.
Due to the technical differences of cooking methods between an oven and a microwave, ready meals have long presented a challenge to the industry as plastic has been the most resilient material for both. The new M&S tray has been designed and tested to make sure it is suitable for both options so customers can still enjoy their delicious dinner however they prefer to cook it. The tray is made of cardboard created with renewable paper fibres so it can be easily recycled at home in paper recycling.
At the end of last year, M&S met its target to remove 75 million units of plastic in 2024/25 ahead of plan. The brand has committed to remove one billion units by the end of FY27/28, as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040 and is halfway to this target with 500m units removed by the end of March 2025.
Andrew Clappen, Technical Director at M&S Food, said: “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. 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, says: ‘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’ This project is in partnership with 2SFG and GPI.