In 2019, Faerch launched Evolve by Faerch for the Ready Meals market, a recipe that allows for up to 70% post-consumer recycled content, including mixed colour “jazz” bottle flakes. Building on this successful market positioning, Faerch has continued to elevate its ambitions. With the recent expansion of its Cirrec recycling facility, Faerch will, starting January 1, 2025, introduce a minimum of 40% Tray rPET in CPET trays for chilled ready meals, while retaining the same CPET properties. This inclusion of Tray rPET will ensure not only high levels of post-consumer content but also a significant amount of circular content, enabling customers to partner with Faerch in the pursuit of taking responsibility and keeping food packaging in a closed loop.
Lars Gade Hansen, Faerch Group CEO says " With this launch, we are not just introducing a new product; we are future-proofing the use of recycled content in our CPET ready meal trays”.
Faerch recognises the industry standards for calculating post-consumer recycled content in its packaging, offering customers third-party certification. The Tray rPET is sourced from kerbside-collected post-consumer materials, underscoring Faerch’s commitment to high-quality, circular packaging. Additionally, creating circularity in food packaging helps to avoid both landfill and incineration, and reduces the dependency on virgin fossil fuels, further supporting a reduction in CO2 emissions. This approach transforms waste into a valuable resource, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Faerch recently commissioned a carbon footprint comparison study of input resins with an LCA practitioner, which showed Faerch’s Tray rPET had a 57% lower carbon footprint than virgin PET, and a 35% saving compared to clear Bottle rPET.
"Faerch has always pushed the boundaries, and now we are taking it a step further by guaranteeing a minimum of 40% Tray rPET in our chilled ready meal trays, taking another step toward true circularity. Just like bottles must be transformed into new bottles, trays must be recycled into new trays without ‘stealing’ and downgrading material from other waste streams " Lars Gade Hansen, concludes.
The launch of chilled ready meal trays with a minimum of 40% Tray rPET content sets a new standard for food packaging, enabling brands to offer high-quality, resource-efficient solutions that meet rising consumer demand and evolving international regulatory requirements. This also supports customer brands’ sustainability commitments, such as increasing recycled content and reducing emissions.
Looking ahead, Faerch plans to expand the launch of its chilled ready meal trays, with at least 40% Tray rPET content to additional market, and aims to further increase the level of Tray rPET in its products, building on the 40% content as a foundation for future progress. This is part of the company’s broader global mission to advance sustainable packaging solutions.
