Aluminium foil tray maker i2r Packaging bags second prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise

i2r Packaging Solutions, the pioneers of aluminium foil tray making has been honoured with another Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Though it is their second win and this time they are being awarded for innovation, for their first, in 2020, they won owing to international trade capabilities.

The company can proudly place itself among the 226 selected organisations, nationally recognised by the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2022.

i2r received the award for their patented product i2r Ultra™ smooth wall aluminium foil container which is a super-strength light-weight tray used for packaging high quality ‘ready to cook’ utility products including red meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, BBQ food and desserts. Though the company is well acknowledged for innovation excellence, this award adds a star to its collar.

A new technique of embossing is being used to theatrically increase stress resistance for reducing the environmental impact of the product along with decreasing its weight and price point. During its development phase, the multi-award-winning design travelled through a protracted process using finite element analysis (FEA) predictive software and then rigorous scientific testing and evaluation, including compression and tension tests conducted against the relevant ISO standard.

To elevate the sustainability factor of its products i2r curtails the use of material through design optimisation, thus it can quote a price lower than other comparable containers. The company can present innovative and authentic products to give commercial choice at a lower price point, ultimately donating added value for their user’s brand. 

Jon West, i2r’s chief commercial officer, commented: “We were delighted to receive our first Queen’s Award, but to be awarded a second is fabulous news and a huge honour. Reducing packaging by design and increasing awareness of recyclability is an essential element of our business ethos, so to have our innovation accomplishments formally recognised in this way is a triumph for the company.”

Once a company earns the prestigious Queen’s Awards, validation of the title is five years but it is the most eminent emblem in the country. Queen’s Awards for Enterprise now is celebrating the 56th year of reign.