Seeking kerbside recyclable alternative to our flexible plastic bags used in frozen food cooking for microwave usage

None-negotiables

• The material must be fully compliant with food-contact regulations and demonstrate zero migration of contaminants or odors to the product.
• The solution must maintain its structural integrity and barrier properties under continuous frozen storage at -18°C.
• The packaging must be robust enough to withstand a weight of up to2kg without tearing, stretching, or losing seal integrity.
• The material should offer a "Premium Feel"
• Must achieve aGrade A rating based on the RecyClass Recyclability Assessment Method (RAM) and be compatible with UK kerbside recycling infrastructure.

Nice to have

• Strong interest in moving away from traditional polymers toward renewable sources.
• Open to exploring high-performance paper-based or bio-based polymers that do not compromise the protective barrier.
• Preference for transparent substrates that allow consumers to see the product
• While currently focused on microwave/frozen usage, the ability to withstand extreme temperatures in Air Fryers and Conventional Ovens is a significant advantage.

Technical requirements

• The material must possess low thermal conductivity to ensure it remains safe for manual handling immediately upon removal from either freezer or a cooking appliance
• The packaging must feature an intuitive structure that allows consumers to easily identify and operate the opening mechanism or "tear point", reducing dependency on printed instructions.
• The solution must be fully food-contact safe, guaranteeing that no migration occurs that could adversely affect the quality, texture, taste, or aroma of the food throughout its entire shelf life.

Discarded solutions

• -We are excluding any complex, multi-material plastic films (such as traditional PE/PET or PE/BOPP structures) that are not currently compatible with standard UK kerbside recycling streams or fail to meet the RecyClass Grade A/B criteria -Solutions that require specialized industrial composting facilities or fail to degrade within standard household recycling chains are not under consideration, as the disposal process must be simple and intuitive for the end consumer.

Possible solution areas

• Bio-based polymers - Wood, Paper, Plastic lined paper, Seaweed, Plants