A new type of plastic tray developed for retailing meat products could lead to a rise in the recycling of such packaging. Designed by Alaa Alaizoki, a Syrian researcher completing his engineering doctorate at Swansea University, the new packaging removes the need for the familiar, non-recyclable pads that are stuck to the inside of plastic meat trays to soak up the “juices”.

The tray itself retains the fluids released by the meat through especially designed and manufactured small-scale well cavities on its base, which essentially makes the entire packaging recyclable. Swansea University said the new product would help increase recyclability of more than 800,000 t/y of food plastic packaging generated by UK supermarkets.

Work on the new trays was developed in collaboration with German packaging group Klöckner Pentaplast (Heilingenroth; www.kpfilms.com), and Swansea University’s Materials and Manufacturing Academy.