Marks & Spencer (M&S) is trialling a new paper fibre ready meal tray, which is suitable for cooking in both microwaves and conventional ovens.

The first-to-market tray has debuted with a limited run, launching with the supermarket’s Fiery Chicken Tikka Masala ready meal.

M&S said that, due to the technical differences of cooking methods between an oven and a microwave, innovations within the ready meal sector have presented a challenge for the industry.

The new trays are made of cardboard, created with renewable paper fibres, making them suitable for home paper recycling. They have been designed for increased convenience, so that customers can cook their dish using wither method, while reducing plastic use.

The switch is expected to remove an estimated 150,000 units of plastic from the M&S packaging chain. The retailer added that the trial aims to gather real customer feedback on the new material, with the new packaging set to roll out across the retailer’s entire Meal for Tonight range if successful.

“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,” said M&S food technical director Andrew Clappen.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

“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.

Clappen added: “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.”

Last year M&S met its target to remove 75 million units of plastic in the 2024-25 year.

The brand has committed to remove one billion units by the end of the 2027-28 financial year, as part of its Plan A roadmap to net zero by 2040. It is halfway to this target, with 500m units removed by the end of March 2025.