Savaday Food Trays.

The tray is pressed from recycled wood fibre or bagasse and heat dried into shape. There is no folded board and no plastic lining. Rigidity comes from the formed geometry rather than caliper, which is why a moulded tray is stiffer than a board tray at the same weight.

Bagasse is a sugarcane by-product with natural oil and water resistance, and it goes in the microwave and freezer without a coating.

It absorbs a little rather than repelling it, which suits a short service window. Bare fibre takes some oil into the surface over the time it takes to eat a hot meal, and holds its shape while doing so. For very wet or acidic menus a compostable liner adds a barrier the bare fibre lacks.

Long standing in wet food is the one case the format is not built for, and we will point you to a lined tray instead.

Yes, compartments are formed as wells during moulding, with no separate divider. A meal tray with two or three wells comes out of the tool as one piece, so there is nothing to insert at the counter and nothing to shift in transit. Custom well layouts need their own tooling.

The trays nest deeply, so storage volume behind a counter is close to nothing.

A printed sleeve, an applied label or an emboss pressed into the fibre are the routes. Moulded fibre does not take fine direct print, so full-quality artwork goes on a board band around the tray. An embossed logo is formed in the tool during moulding, which is permanent and subtle but costs a tooling change.

Natural unbleached fibre is the cheapest finish. White fibre is bleached for corporate and hospital settings that want a cleaner look.

Common sizes are 8 by 6 by 2 inches and 9 by 7 by 2 inches. The dimensions are outside length and width at the rim and depth of the well. Compartment layouts are measured well by well, since each has its own depth and footprint.

A new size or layout is a custom tool, so it pays to settle the menu before the tray is designed.

Stock tooling starts at 500 trays. Above 1,000 the pricing tiers down, and a custom-tooled layout is normally ordered in larger quantities to spread the tooling cost. The upper limit on a single production order is 100,000.

Natural and white fibre can be mixed in one order using the same tool.

Trays on existing tooling ship in 7 to 10 business days, with 5 to 7 on a rush. Custom tooling adds to the front of that, so a new compartment layout should be started early. Sample trays are ready in 5 to 7 business days and the cost is credited back when you place the order.

Printed sleeves are made in parallel and do not extend the schedule.

Yes, bare fibre and bagasse trays compost where a collection route exists. The claim on the tray states the route, since a compostable tray only composts if it reaches a composting stream. Where the stock is certified the marking prints on the sleeve or label to support the disposal instruction.

A compostable lidding film is available that breaks down alongside the tray for displayed meals.