Stora Enso launches low-carbon material for microwavable ready meal trays

21 Jun 2021 --- Stora Enso is launching a wood fiber-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging called Trayforma. 

The renewable material is PET-free, has a low share of polypropylene and a lower carbon footprint than traditional meal tray products, the Finnish manufacturer says.

The material contains up to 95 percent wood fibers, making it widely recyclable in most existing carton packaging recycling schemes.

Reduced carbon footprint
Microwavable meals are typically packed in fossil-based PET trays as the material is safe for heating. Stora Enso’s Trayforma material replaces fossil-based plastics with renewable, light-weight paperboard, lowering the carbon footprint of each tray.

By changing to recyclable, low-carbon trays, brand owners and retailers selling microwave ready meals can act on circular economy commitments.

“With consumers more than ever before making sustainably conscious purchasing decisions, packaging materials play a key role in offering an eco-friendly product,” says Tuomas Puonti, VP, head of business line LPB Fresh and FSB at Stora Enso.

“Additionally, a key driver for the continued growth of high-quality ready meals is urban, small households and their search for convenience.”

“With Stora Enso’s new material compositions, trays made with Trayforma fit the recyclability demands in a circular economy while remaining safe for microwave heating.”

Europe’s most recycled material
Fiber-based packaging is the most recycled material in Europe (83%), Stora Enso highlights. Every year European countries recycle more fibers than other materials, like plastic and glass. 

The new Trayforma PP also ensures fiber-based trays fit existing fiber recovery and recycling systems in Europe.

The material is up to 95 percent fiber-based and uses less than half of the barrier weight of current heatable materials.

Biodegradable coatings
When a biodegradable coating is used, the fiber-based trays are compostable in areas where biowaste is collected. Trayforma Bio by Stora Enso is a bio-based and biodegradable material certified for industrial composting, meaning it will fully biodegrade fast enough (under 12 weeks) to be recovered at an industrial scale.

Trayforma ready meal trays are also available with a PET coating when conventional heating is required.

Innova Market Insights identified “Fiber-based Frenzy” as a leading packaging trend for 2021. Innovation in plastic-replacement fiber-based solutions is booming as brands explore plastic waste escape routes and new connections with the enlarging eco-conscious consumer base. 

More stringent regulations are driving the transition from single-use plastics to fiber-based alternatives. The EU’s Plastics Strategy requires all packaging to be recyclable or reusable in an economically viable way by 2030, while its recently introduced plastics tax imposes a €0.80/kg (US$0.95/kg) levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste.

PackagingInsights recently discussed the challenges and opportunities for ready meal packaging with suppliers Greiner Packaging and Huhtamaki, with consumer insights provided by Innova Market Insights.

Edited by Joshua Poole

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