Heinz has upped its sustainability credentials with the introduction of 100 per cent recyclable caps for its squeezy sauce bottles, potentially diverting one billion caps away from landfill.
The new mono-material cap came to life after eight years of R&D and US$1.2 million investment to find a suitable replacement cap for Heinz’s squeezy bottles, which sold one billion units globally in 2020.
Heinz initially created 45 different designs before deciding on the eventual design, which were printed in-house using a 3D printer. After the creation of prototypes, Heinz then followed with a rigorous testing procedure to make sure the cap met the highest standards.
The first Heinz varieties to get the new cap will be both its Tomato Ketchup and its BBQ Sauce range. The cap will be rolled out globally from 2022, starting in Europe.
“We’re excited to be announcing these first-to-market innovative new caps, meaning our consumers can now recycle every part of their Heinz squeezy bottle in their weekly kerbside collection,” says Jojo de Noronha, president of Kraft Heinz Northern Europe.
“A huge amount of work has gone into finding the right solution that means no compromise on using and enjoying our hugely popular squeezy bottles for the hundreds of millions who buy them.
“While we know we still have more to do, from a sustainability and environmental perspective, this is positive news.”
To date, Heinz sauce bottles have used a flexible valve, which had been designed to deliver the ideal portion of sauce per squeeze, but was typically challenging to recycle.
According to Heinz, the new cap has been designed to provide the same perfect squeeze, but now will come in a single, rigid and more recyclable material.
Heinz is committed to reducing packaging waste wherever possible, while continuing to offer great value, and this move is part of Heinz’s pledge to aim to make 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
