Why Heinz Wants To Invent A New Ketchup Bottle
When it comes to condiments, ketchup is probably one of the first that comes to mind. Per NPR, when it comes to this thick, tomato-based sauce, Kraft Heinz is the ketchup of choice with almost 70% of ketchup sold in the United States bearing that iconic "57" that has become so closely associated with this brand. What's even more amazing about Heinz Ketchup is that there are just two factories creating this mass produced condiment — one located in Fremont, Ohio, and the other in Muscatine, Iowa. But like many companies working in the 21st century, Heinz is working to reduce its footprint.
According to a press release, the ketchup company is working with sustainable packaging company Pulpex to reimagine the Heinz ketchup bottle. Instead of the glass or plastic bottle you find lining grocery shelves, tucked away in your refrigerator, or on the table tops of your favorite diner, Heinz is hoping to offer consumers a paper-based option that's both renewable and recyclable. Additionally, they are aiming to create a bottle made from 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp. What is this company's end goal in changing up how they deliver their product?
Heinz hopes to reduce plastic waste with its new bottle design
According to Heinz's announcement, the 153-year-old company is jumping on the bandwagon to limit its waste when it comes to packaging. But, will a new bottle do the trick? While it is definitely a step in the right direction, per The Wall Street Journal, the pandemic brought a high demand for ketchup packets, sparking Heinz to increase its production to 12 billion plastic packets per year. But, with the Consumer Brand Association reporting that 84% of consumers are concerned about plastic and packaging waste, there still seems to be more pioneering packaging challenges to be conquered.
"Packaging waste is an industrywide challenge that we must all do our part to address," said Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio. "That is why we are committed to taking steps to explore sustainable packaging solutions across our brands at Kraft Heinz, offering consumers more choices."
That said, Heinz's press release explains that their goal is to "to make all packaging globally recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025." They are currently looking to take their prototype for dry run to see how it holds up before offering it to consumers. This is part of the global corporate push to find a path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as outlined by Net Zero Climate.