Boasting a portfolio of over 200 manufacturers – eight of which usher in upwards of $1bn yearly – The Kraft Heinz Firm produces a number of packaging.
Whereas a majority is constructed from paper, glass, or metallic supplies which might be totally recyclable, the opposite portion of its packaging is usually made up of versatile plastic movies or inflexible plastic containers.
In a transfer geared toward reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and bettering its environmental affect, Kraft Heinz has introduced a dedication to chop the usage of virgin plastic in its international packaging portfolio by 20% by 2030, from 2021 ranges.
The corporate is pulling three predominant levers to attain this aim: changing virgin plastic with recycled content material; eradicate or scale back plastic packaging; and discover plastic options.
“We’re investing in modern applied sciences and partnerships which might be essential to serving to us redesign packaging, eradicate pointless plastic, enhance our use of recycled content material, and affect the adoption of reuse fashions,” mentioned Rashida La Lande, government vp, international common counsel, and chief sustainability and company affairs officer at Kraft Heinz.
“That is a method we’re renovating our product portfolio to not solely provide extra sustainable choices, however to ship on our shopper expectations.”
Navigating the ‘difficult puzzle’ of alt plastic supplies
A method Kraft Heinz is working to cut back its use of virgin plastic is by swapping out typical packaging supplies for extra sustainable options.
Final yr, Heinz introduced a pilot with Pulpex to develop a paper-based, renewable and recyclable bottle constructed from 100% sustainably sourced wooden pulp for its Tomato Ketchup. The corporate claims this to be a primary within the sauce class.
This yr, Kraft Heinz’ Canadian espresso model Nabob changed its non-recyclable versatile plastic espresso luggage with recyclable canisters constructed from 80% paper fibre from renewable sources. The change is estimated to eradicate roughly 2.5m plastic luggage per yr.
“There’s lots to think about as we take a look at growing new and various packaging options,” defined La Lande. “At the beginning, we should ship in opposition to our meals security necessities and shield the product all through the use cycle. We even have to satisfy the expectations of customers to make sure that packaging capabilities the best way they’ve come to belief.”
Kraft Heinz additionally needs to be assured that the plastic various in query is doing extra good than hurt. “Whereas plastic waste can have a detrimental affect on the setting, we additionally need to watch out to guage the environmental affect of options to make sure that they don’t have worse impacts on the setting.”
And eventually, the corporate must be positive it could possibly run any potential new improvements on its current tools, in order that it could possibly implement adjustments within the ‘most effective means’, La Lande informed this publication.
“So, we work arduous to anticipate and forecast what we’ll want to handle and clear up in order that improvements are related by the point they hit the market.”
Rising recycled content material and reducing supplies
Rising the quantity of recycled content material inside its packaging is a significant technique for Kraft Heinz in reducing virgin plastic use.
Guaranteeing the corporate has entry to sufficient recycled plastic content material is essential to this strategy. “To make sure we now have entry to the recycled content material wanted for our packaging, our procurement companions work intently with distributors upstream to supply and purchase the particular supplies we want for our improvements,” the chief sustainability officer informed FoodNavigator.
Within the UK, Heinz labored with companions to create recyclable Heinz Beans Snap pots from gentle plastics that had been returned to Tesco by customers. The food-safe recyclable pots are made with 39% recycled plastic. This pilot venture was set to recycle roughly 22 tonnes of plastic.
Heinz has additionally moved to 30% recycled content material in most of its bottles in Europe, the UK and Brazil.
Within the US, Kraft Heinz goals to interchange 15% of its US PET inflexible plastic portfolio with post-consumer recycled content material by 2050. Improvements serving to the corporate obtain this ambition embody its plan to transition Kraft’s Actual Mayo and Miracle Whip packaging to 100% recycled content material within the US by early 2024.
In working to eradicate or scale back plastic supplies, Kraft Heinz can be making progress. Within the UK, Heinz launched a multipack paperboard sleeve to interchange shrink-wrap. Within the US, the plastic ‘shaker’ bag was faraway from Kraft Heinz’s Shake ‘N Bake product.
Reusability can be on the corporate’s radar. “A method we’re investigating reusable packaging is by partnering with Loop, a waste-free on-line store, to permit customers to responsibly purchase merchandise in refillable packaging which is collected, cleaned and refilled after use,” defined La Lande. “Our pilot started in Canada and the U.Ok. in 2020 and we expanded to the U.S. in 2022.”
On monitor to satisfy sustainability commitments?
Kraft Heinz’s new packaging commitments aligns with earlier sustainability pledges made by the corporate.
Again in 2018, Kraft Heinz mentioned it aimed to make 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2050 as a part of the New Plastics Economic system World Dedication, launched by the Ellen MacArthur Basis (EMF) in collaboration with UN Surroundings. Kraft Heinz is 84% of the best way there, with lower than two years to go.
Different meals and beverage majors corresponding to Nestlé, Unilever, The Coca Cola Firm, Mars, Inc. and Danone additionally signed the pledge, however EMF is uncertain commitments might be achieved by deadline.
Kraft Heinz’s packaging ambitions additionally align with its broader greenhouse fuel discount ambitions: the corporate desires to halve emissions by 2030 and obtain web zero by 2050. “To attain our ESG targets, together with to achieve web zero GHG emissions, we will’t proceed to do issues as they’ve prior to now,” mentioned La Lande.
