Food and Beverage

Heinz Canada’s Innovative PlantBottle™ Ketchup Packaging

Challenge

The H.J. Heinz Company has been a good corporate citizen for 144 years. Throughout the Company’s history, it has made a positive social and economic impact in the community while pursuing sustainable business practices. Sustainability is embedded in Company culture and mission—ever since Henry John Heinz started selling horseradish, his first product, in clear glass bottles so consumers could see its wholesome purity.

Heinz is committed to achieving sustainable growth that benefits consumers, customers, employees and communities, guided by the principles of integrity, transparency and social responsibility. Heinz set out to create an innovative and inclusive sustainability action plan—as a leading provider of consumer products, sustainable packaging practices were one area for Heinz to make progress.

Strategy

In 2008 the H.J. Heinz Company announced an aggressive goal of reducing greenhouse gases across its global operations by 20% by 2015, and specified targets in eight areas, such as agriculture, energy, solid waste, water and, of course, packaging.

As part of its overall commitment to sustainability and innovation in all areas of production, Heinz packaging design consists of four sustainability pillars. Specific considerations include the identification, evaluation and use of environmentally friendly packaging materials, minimizing the amount of packaging materials consumed and optimizing designs for transport efficiency. The four pillars are as follows:

1)       Reduce – Optimize designs to minimize the use of packaging materials while ensuring product protection throughout the supply chain and proper performance for consumers (e.g., eliminate components, light-weighting)

2)       Reuse – Reuse secondary packaging components where possible throughout the supply chain to minimize material waste and its associated carbon footprint (e.g. reusable totes, pallets)

3)       Recycle – Utilize recyclable materials where possible. Incorporate post-consumer recycled content where feasible.

4)       Renew – Evaluate and utilize packaging materials derived from renewable sources where feasible to reduce carbon footprint.

An overall packaging goal of 15% reduction through the use of alternative and/or reduced packaging materials was made. Further product innovation and reduction highlights include reduction initiatives ongoing across all packaging and shipping cartons and the launch of pouch packaging technology to reduce packaging weight and improve pallet utilization, while meeting convenience needs for consumers (ex. baby food in pouch and spout format was introduced in October 2012).

Packaging Highlight: Heinz PlantBottle™ Design:

Heinz Canada determined that in addition to sustainable packaging practices, there existed room for further innovation in packaging material. As a result, in 2012 Heinz introduced its PlantBottle™ design to Canadian consumers.

PlantBottle™ packaging is made from up to 30% plant based material derived from sugarcane ethanol from Brazil, the only source widely recognized by thought leaders globally for its unique environmental and social performance. The plant material is produced through an innovative process that turns natural sugars found in plants into a key component for PET plastic. The new packaging looks, feels, and functions just like tradition PET plastic but has a lower reliance on non-renewable resources and reduced the CO2 impact of plastic used. And it’s recyclable as ever. In this first-of-its kind partnership between the Coca-Cola Company and Heinz—all Heinz 750 ml Ketchup bottles sold in Canada are now produced in PlantBottle™ packaging.

Result

The continued dedication by Heinz Canada to sustainable practices has resulted in positive outcomes, not only in innovative green packaging but in the successful implementation of its overall sustainability goals.

Specific outcomes of changes in packaging technologies include:

• Bravo Pouch innovation (September 2012) resulted in 87.7% less packaging weight and 12.5% improved pallet utilization.
• Infant cereal standup resealable pouch innovation (March 2009) resulted in 75% less packaging weight and 33% improved pallet utilization.
• Renée’s Salad Dressing glass to plastic (April 2009) and Diana Sauce Conversion (August 2010) resulted in 80% less packaging weight and 20% improved pallet utilization.

Update on overall sustainability goals in Canada:

2012 was of particular importance to Heinz Canada because the team here achieved its overarching goal of a 20% reduction in greenhouses gases. Significantly, Heinz Canada:

• Experienced its best year ever in terms of record tomato yields with a 47 net tons/acre—a 139.8% improvement since 1989.
• Achieved a 20.4% reduction in energy consumption versus the same period in 2005
• Reduced water use per unit of finished production by 41.5% versus the original goal of 20%
• Increased recycling and reuse of solid waste to achieve a 26.9% reduction versus the original goal of 20%.

Since 2008 Heinz Canada has invested well over $6.5 million dollars on sustainability initiatives which reduce the Company’s environmental impact. Heinz Canada is committed to making further progress against it sustainability goals –environmental, social, and economic—in the years to come.