Compostable Food Tray
Moulded fibre trays are formed by pressing wet pulp against a heated tool.
View tray & get pricing →Food tray category — 6 trays
Compostable and Moulded Fibre Food Trays
Moulded fibre is made by forming wet pulp against a mould and drying it under heat. That process gives you something folded board cannot: genuinely deep, curved wells with no seams, in a material that absorbs a little moisture instead of repelling it.
That absorbency is the point. Under a tray of mince or a punnet of berries, a fibre tray takes up the free liquid that would otherwise sit against the product. The same property makes it the standard for eggs, where the shock absorption matters as much as the shape.
Get pricing for this range
Tell us which of the compostable & molded fiber trays you need, the size and roughly how many. We reply with a full quote, usually within one working day.
01 — The range
6 trays in this range
Moulded pulp and bagasse trays formed into deep wells — for produce, protein, eggs and hot service. Every one is made to order, so treat the descriptions as starting points rather than fixed specifications.
Moulded Pulp Meat Tray
The whole argument for a fibre meat tray is what happens to the liquid.
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Moulded Pulp Egg Flat
The egg flat is the oldest moulded fibre product still in daily use, and it has barely changed because the design was right the first time.
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Kraft Fruit Tray
This is the pocketed fibre tray used to move and display fruit, made in a warm kraft tone rather than the grey of a standard pulp tray.
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Kraft Egg Carton
An egg carton is the retail end of the same technology as the wholesale flat, with two additions: a lid that closes properly and a surface that has to s…
View tray & get pricing →Related trays elsewhere on the site
02 — In detail
On compostability claims: we will tell you exactly what a tray is made from and what treatments have been applied to it. We will not tell you it is certified home compostable, industrially compostable or biodegradable unless the material you order carries that certification, because those terms have specific legal meanings that differ between the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Ask us for the material specification and check it against the scheme that applies where you sell.
What moulded fibre is good at
Absorbing liquid
Unlike a plastic or coated board tray, untreated moulded fibre draws free liquid away from the product surface. On a moulded pulp meat tray that is the difference between a package that looks fresh in a chiller and one that does not.
Absorbing shock
The fibre structure crushes progressively rather than shattering, which is exactly why eggs have travelled in it for a century. The same property protects soft fruit in a produce tray.
Handling heat
Fibre trays tolerate hot food far better than uncoated folding board. A hot school meal sits in a bagasse tray for a full service without softening at the corners.
Deep, seamless wells
Because the shape is formed rather than folded, wells can be deep, round-bottomed and precisely matched to a product. That is impossible in a single folded blank.
What it is less good at
Being straight about the limitations saves you a disappointing first order.
- Print. The surface is textured and absorbent, so fine detail and photographic work do not hold. A label or a printed band is usually the better route.
- Sharp graphic edges. Moulded shapes have draft angles and radii; you cannot get a crisp square corner.
- Tooling lead time. Moulds take longer to make than cutting dies, so first orders need more notice.
- Colour range. Natural fibre is brown or grey-white. Dyed fibre is possible but the palette is limited.
- Very small runs. The tooling cost means fibre suits repeat, higher-volume lines better than one-off events.
Which fibre format fits your product
Choose fibre for what it genuinely does — hot food, absorbency, deep formed wells — and treat any environmental claim as a separate, documented question.
- Choose a general-purpose moulded fibre tray for hot meals and takeaway where board would soften.
- Choose a ribbed absorbent meat tray which lifts the cut clear of released liquid.
- Choose a pocketed produce tray sized to the largest fruit in your grade.
- Choose a twenty or thirty-egg flat for packing houses and wholesale supply.
- Choose a kraft-toned fruit tray when the tray goes onto a shop floor rather than staying in a case.
- Choose a retail egg carton where the closure and the printed band do the selling.
03 — Questions
Compostable & Molded Fiber Trays: common questions
Is bagasse the same as moulded pulp?
They are both moulded fibre, but the feedstock differs. Bagasse is the fibrous residue left after sugarcane is pressed; conventional moulded pulp usually starts from recovered paper. Bagasse tends to be paler and is common in food-contact applications; recovered pulp is common in produce and egg packaging.
Can I say these trays are compostable in my marketing?
Only if the specific material you order is certified for the specific scheme you are claiming, in the country you are selling in. We will give you the material specification and any certification that applies to it in writing. What you then claim is a decision to make with that document in hand, not on the strength of the word "fibre".
Do fibre trays leak?
Untreated fibre absorbs liquid rather than repelling it, so over a long period a very wet product will darken the tray and eventually soften it. For wetter products we specify a barrier treatment. Tell us the product and the shelf life and we will match the specification to it.
How long does moulded fibre tooling take?
Longer than a cutting die — it is a formed metal mould rather than a set of blades. Plan for it in your launch timeline. If you need something faster for a trial, we can often work from an existing mould with a close footprint while your bespoke tool is made.
Can moulded fibre trays go in a microwave or oven?
Many fibre trays tolerate microwave reheating and some tolerate oven temperatures, but this depends entirely on the grade and any barrier applied. We will state the tested temperature range for the material you order rather than giving a blanket yes.
Are these trays suitable for chilled retail display?
Yes, and it is one of the strongest use cases. Fibre performs well in a chiller because it manages condensation rather than beading it. It is used routinely for meat, produce and eggs in retail.
Can you match the size of the plastic tray I use now?
In most cases yes, though the wall angles will differ because a moulded fibre tray needs draft to release from the tool. Send us the plastic tray and tell us which dimension is critical — the internal volume or the external footprint — and we will design around that one.
What minimum quantity makes a fibre tray viable?
Higher than folded board, because the tooling investment is larger and the forming process runs at scale. If your volumes are modest, it is worth asking whether a folded or lined board tray meets the same need at a lower total cost — we will tell you honestly when it does.
Need help choosing from the compostable & molded fiber trays?
Describe the food, the portion and the setting. We will tell you which tray in this range fits, and say so plainly if the answer is a format from somewhere else on the site.