i2r Packaging Solutions has unveiled a new aluminium tray designed to remove the need for absorbent soakaway pads in fresh meat and seafood packs.
The Dimple Base Tray features an engineered base that i2r said captures and retains liquid within the tray itself, resulting in a ‘simpler’ pack structure that improves recyclability, reduces waste, and increases pack strength.
Testing is said to have shown that the tray retains up to 16ml of liquid – matching the performance of a conventional absorbent pad – while delivering 30% greater strength than a standard equivalent tray.
Tom Cliffe, i2r’s sales director, said, “For decades, absorbent pads have been viewed as an essential part of fresh protein packaging. We challenged that thinking by redesigning the tray itself, creating a solution that delivers the same performance while removing an unnecessary packaging component. The Dimple Base Tray demonstrates how intelligent design can simplify packaging, improve recyclability and deliver practical benefits for manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike.”
i2r added that its smoothwall trays already contain 54% recycled content, with a target of reaching 90% by the end of 2026.
Tom Cliffe added, “With billions of fresh meat and seafood packs produced every year, even small design changes can have a significant impact. The Dimple Base Tray offers the industry a practical, scalable solution that improves sustainability without compromising performance.”
