The Heinz ketchup bottle is going sustainable

Kraft Heinz, the most widely sold ketchup around the world, is developing a recyclable bottle made from PET-free paper and 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp. As part of its goal of becoming the first-ever condiment brand to have entirely renewable packaging, the food giant says it is exploring “the ketchup bottle of tomorrow”.

The company announced last week that the new containers will be made in partnership with Pulpex, a new packaging technology company established by venture management firm Pilot Lite and spirits producer Diageo, with a mission to deliver sustainability through renewable packaging. Heinz’s long-term plan is to make all of its packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. It also aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The paper-based packaging claims to have a carbon footprint that is 90% lower than glass and 30% less than the commonly used PET plastic. Heinz and Pulpex are currently developing a prototype for the new bottle, which will be available for purchase alongside their plastic squeeze bottles and classic glass bottles that are already made from 100% recyclable caps and 30% from recycled content.

According to Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio, “Packaging waste is an industry-wide challenge that we must all do our part to address. That is why we are committed to taking steps to explore sustainable packaging solutions across our brands at Kraft Heinz, offering consumers more choices. The Heinz bottle is one example of how we are applying creativity and innovation to explore new ways to provide consumers with the products they know and love while also thinking sustainably.”

Around a whopping 650 million bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup are sold every year making this change a crucial one. Here’s hoping that other companies will follow suit.