Is it possible to replace polystyrene foam in trays for fresh meat, poultry and fish? At first glance, the material seems irreplaceable in its qualities. And not recyclable. The latter, in the context of current trends in the packaging market, is a key drawback, which, as it turns out, stimulates new developments well.

And now there is an environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene foam. Eastman and SEE (formerly Sealed Air) have released a lightweight, certified biodegradable tray. It is made from Eastman's new Aventa Renew material, which is a blend of wood pulp and acetyl derived from recycled material. The tray has already been successfully certified as suitable for home and industrial composting. Given that it is primarily made from cellulose acetate, the tray is expected to biodegrade naturally without leaving behind microplastics.

An important addition is that the new tray is compatible with existing packaging equipment and does not require any modifications for its use. It is already used by several companies for packaging.

Materials used from packagingeurope.com