Ketchup is a staple fixture in British households, no matter the weather – an essential element of your rainy Friday night dinner as much as your sunny summer BBQ.
And your fave condiment (let’s be honest, does anything else topple it?), is going through a bit of a makeover at the moment.
Heinz has announced that its iconic ketchup will soon be sold in paper bottles in a bid to have less impact on the planet.
While most of us are used to squeezing our ketchup out of a plastic bottle – or even old-school glass (and we all know the struggle of that), Heinz wants to introduce the paper counterpart as part of the company’s long-term plan to make all of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
But if you’re worrying these new bottles are going to end up a bit of a soggy mess (think paper straws), don’t worry – these folks seem to know what they’re doing.
The new offering will be made with wood pulp, in partnership with UK plant-based packaging company, Pulpex – which also created a paper bottle for whisky brand Jonnie Walker, so it’s not their first rodeo.
The condiment specialist, which also flog us mayonnaise and salad cream, currently uses 30% recycled plastic and recycled caps in its packaging, but hopes to do better in future.
Heinz merged with the US-owned Kraft Foods in 2015 to become the Heinz Kraft company, and wants to achieve zero greenhouse emissions by the year 2050.
Miguel Patricio, Kraft Heinz CEO, said: “Packaging waste is an industry-wide challenge that we must all do our part to address.”
Patricio added that it was about offering consumers choice – if you’re a ketchup puritan or a sucker for punishment, the plastic and glass bottles will still be available to buy in stores.
“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,” he said.
