Heinz Ketchup PlantBottles goes to Canada

The distribution of Heinz' new plant-based Tomato Ketchup bottles across North America continues, with Canada now involved.

Unveiled in February 2011, Heinz' PlantBottle packaging was rolled out across the US in a big way last year and now, on the eve of Earth Day 2012, the firm's Canadian division has renewed its eco-friendly credentials by highlighting the design's environmentally-beneficial attributes.

Plant-derived material makes up 30 per cent of the overall PlantBottle mix. That, according to recent research undertaken by IMI GlobalPulse, ought to ensure it's held in high esteem by a Canadian consumer base, of which 60 per cent believes environmentally friendly products are of high ethical value.

Heinz Ketchup PlantBottle

The Heinz Ketchup PlantBottle is equal in appearance, feel and function to a conventional PET plastic bottle design and is just as recyclable.

575ml Heinz PlantBottles arrived in Canada at the start of the year and, more recently, they've been joined by larger 750ml-sized bottles. These 750ml PlantBottles can be purchased in grocery stores across Canada, while the smaller ones appear in restaurants nationwide. Heinz Canada's Ketchup production facility is located in Leamington, Ontario, and the tomatoes used in it hail from a fleet of 45 growers, all of whose fields lie within a 100 kilometre range of the factory.

Heinz itself is presently committed to a major greenhouse gas, water use, solid waste and energy consumption reduction programme and is aiming to have achieved 20 per cent cuts, across the board, by 2015.

Heinz Canada PlantBottle

"The revolutionary PlantBottle packaging and our groundbreaking partnership with The Coca-Cola Co provides a great opportunity for Heinz to advance our environmental stewardship efforts", Heinz Canada's Chief Executive Officer and President, Peter Luik, explained in a 18 April company press release.

"Converting to PlantBottle packaging is a global initiative for Heinz and we are pleased to offer Canadians and their families products and innovative packaging options that help make a difference to the planet we all share."

Source:  http://www.packaging-int.com