Stora Enso introduces Trayforma for microwavable ready-meal trays

Trayforma by Stora Enso is a new wood fiber-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging. The renewable material is free of PET, has a very low share of PP, and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional meal tray products. The material contains up to 95% wood fibers, making it widely recyclable in most existing carton packaging recycling schemes.

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 that significantly lowers the carbon footprint of each tray. 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. 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,” says Tuomas Puonti, vice president and head of Business Line LPB Fresh & FSB.

Fiber-based packaging is the most recycled material in Europe (83%), and every year European countries recycle more fibers than other materials, like plastic and glass. According to the company, the new Trayforma PP by Stora Enso also ensures fiber-based trays fit existing fiber recovery and recycling systems in Europe. The material is up to 95% fiber-based and uses less than half of the barrier weight of current heatable materials.

When a biodegradable coating is used, these 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.