Heinz Will Use Sugar-Based Plastics in Ketchup Bottles

Another major consumer package is moving from oil-based plastics to plant-based plastics. The iconic Heinz ketchup bottles will be made in part (30 percent) from sugarcane ethanol produced in Brazil. The Heinz bottle will be based on Coca-Cola’s breakthrough PlantBottle packaging.

PlantBottle packaging looks, feels and functions just like traditional PET plastic, and remains fully recyclable. It is not biodegradable. Heinz’s new technology will be the biggest change to its ketchup bottles since they were converted to plastic in 1983. Heinz will introduce PlantBottle in all 20-ounce ketchup bottles in June. Coca-Cola  launched the bioplastic packaging  in 2009 on brands that include Coke, Sprite, and Fresca.

An initial life-cycle analysis conducted by Imperial College London showed that the use of PlantBottle packaging provides a 12-19 percent reduction in carbon impact. In 2010 alone, the use of this breakthrough packaging eliminated the equivalent of almost 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or approximately 60,000 barrels of oil, according to Coca-Cola.