Heinz has announced that it is teaming up with Pulpex to develop a paper-based, renewable, and recyclable bottle made from 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp. Innovating its iconic ketchup bottle, Heinz is the first sauce brand to test the potential of Pulpex’s sustainable paper bottle packaging for its range of condiments.
According to The Kraft Heinz Company, this collaboration is the latest step in its journey to reduce its environmental footprint. It furthers the company’s sustainable packaging ambitions, in that it aligns with its goal to make all packaging globally recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. It is also an innovation that the company says will help it to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Heinz and Pulpex are developing a prototype to test how the patented packaging technology could be used for the Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle and other packaging formats in years to come. Pulpex’s current data indicates the carbon footprint of Pulpex bottles is materially less than glass and plastic on a bottle-by-bottle basis. Once empty, the bottles are also expected to be widely and readily recyclable in paper waste streams.
 | Watch this video on Nestlé brand Vittel Water’s beta testing of reusable and paper bottles. |
“Packaging waste is an industry-wide challenge that we must all do our part to address,” says 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. This new 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.”
The next step in the process will involve prototype testing to assess performance before testing with consumers and bringing the bottle to market.
“We hope to bring this bottle to market and to be the first sauce brand to provide consumers this choice in their purchasing decisions, as many consumers today are looking for more sustainable packaging options,” says Rashida La Lande, EVP & Global General Counsel and Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer at Kraft Heinz. “We’re eager to continue discovering more sustainable packaging for our beloved and iconic brands.”
 | Read this story on Coca-Cola’s paper bottle prototype for its AdeZ plant-based beverage. |
Adds Pulpex CEO Scott Winston, “We are delighted to work with Heinz to bring our patented packaging technology to such a famous name in food and are excited about the potential of this collaboration. We believe that the scope for paper-based packaging is huge, and when global household names like Heinz embrace this type of innovative technology, it’s good news for everyone—consumers and the planet.”
The pulp-based bottle would become the newest option available to Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans, joining the recyclable Heinz iconic glass bottle and plastic bottle, as well as plastic squeeze bottles with 30% recycled content (available only in the E.U.) and 100% recyclable caps.
