Finnair economy class meals will be served in Finnish Fredman’s cardboard trays

The Finnish company Fredman Group Oy has developed new airplane meal trays and boxes in cooperation with Finnair. These Nordic wood fiber-based cardboard trays are already partly in use and will be fully introduced in economy class this spring. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Finnair will also introduce a new menu. Thanks to the new packaging, Finnair will cut back on single-use plastics by 39 tonnes (*). The new serving dishes are delivered from Fredman’s factory in Rauma.

One of the goals in Finnair’s sustainability strategy has been to reduce the use of single-use plastics by 50% by the end of 2022.

“With the new packaging, we were able to reach our target ahead of schedule early last fall. Our customers are eco-conscious and pay attention to the amount of waste generated in the cabin,” says Marika Nieminen, Finnair’s Vice President and Head of Kitchen.

Known for its sustainable home kitchen products, such as baking papers and coffee filters, Fredman has a sustainability vision to make sure that all of its products will be recyclable and made from renewable materials by 2030.

“We want to encourage sustainable kitchen choices at home, in the air and in restaurants. It’s great that we have been able to support Finnair in achieving its sustainability goals,” says Per-Henrik Hagberg, CEO of Fredman.

Safety and flavor retention at the heart of product development

“Our central kitchen ensures food safety using Fredman’s digital self-monitoring service. We were already familiar with the company and its values as a Finnish family-owned company,” Nieminen explains the background of this cooperation.

“The most important thing in product development was to ensure that the heat-resistant cardboard trays meet the high airline safety criteria. Since food is an important factor in the airline customer experience, the serving dishes should protect the best flavors,” Hagberg says.

*calculation based on 2019 passenger statistics