We have achieved a significant milestone in our sustainability journey by removing plastic trays from our pork pie packaging.
The initiative, which spans both branded and own-label products, is set to reduce plastic use by 110 tonnes annually. We produce an estimated 200 million pork pies annually under own label and through our portfolio of brands, which include Pork Farms, Wall’s Pastry and Wrights.
The rollout is part of our aim to reduce our environmental impact while maintaining food quality and safety. Following a substantial investment in automation equipment at our Tottle site, we implemented a new, innovative trayless packaging process, which eliminates 75% of the plastic previously used in high-volume pork pie packs. This will result in a carbon saving of approximately 430 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year.
In addition to the trayless packaging initiative, we are driving innovation in flexible films, a material that remains a key challenge for the food industry due to the lack of collection and recycling infrastructure. We are transitioning to mono-material films for specific product packaging, such as chorizo. These films can be recycled through supermarket collection points and is expected to be kerbside recyclable from 2027.
As a signatory of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, we are committed to addressing the challenges of packaging by removing unnecessary materials, increasing the use of recycled content, and improving recyclability. We use over 4,000 tonnes of plastic annually and have a clear strategy to reduce this figure through targeted innovations, while maintaining product quality and freshness.
Our broader ESG goals include exploring new packaging solutions, trialling recyclable alternatives, and embedding sustainability across operations. Recent achievements include replacing rPET plastic trays with recyclable paper-based board in its Squeaky Bean® range, cutting plastic use in that range by 82%.
David Moore, Head of ESG at The Compleat Food Group, said: “Our move to trayless packaging for pork pies is a prime example of how innovation and investment can drive meaningful sustainability improvements. While the automation required careful consideration of speed and efficiency, the result is a significant reduction in plastic use without compromising on product quality or freshness.
“This marks a huge step forward in our efforts to reduce plastic packaging across our portfolio, supporting our wider purpose to make food to feel good, taste good and do good.”
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