Marks & Spencer has started trialling a ‘first-to-market’ paper fibre alternative ready meal tray that is suitable for both the microwave and the oven.
Made of renewable paper fibre, the FSC-certified tray has debuted on its Fiery Chicken Tikka Masala line in stores and on Ocado. It can be 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 customer feedback on the material.
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.
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 removing 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.”
