Sustainable Packaging
At ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, we are working to reduce our operational footprint and have a positive impact on the environment. Our comprehensive approach to packaging seeks to maintain food safety and quality, reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and meet extensive packaging regulations, while satisfying our consumers’ expectations by delivering the same functionality they know and love.
Aim to make 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2025.
87%
Aim to reduce our use of virgin plastic globally by 20% by 2030 (versus 2021).
To do so, we operate within the entire packaging ecosystem. We design recyclable, compostable, and reusable packaging, support packaging infrastructure development and encourage consumer participation in packaging disposal.
In 2023, we announced a new goal to reduce the use of virgin plastic in our global portfolio. We’re doing three things to support this ambition: 1) using less plastic in our packaging, 2) using more recycled content, and 3) using alternatives to plastic. This builds on our progress with the U.S., Canada, and U.K. Plastic Pacts to increase the use of recycled content in our packaging as we aim to replace 15 percent of our U.S. PET rigid plastic packaging portfolio with post-consumer recycled content by 2025.
To better understand how much of our packaging is recyclable, reusable, and compostable, we partner with environmental consultancy group Lorax EPI. At the end of 2023, 87 percent of our global packaging portfolio was recyclable, reusable, or compostable*. The majority of our packaging is made up of recyclable materials, including paper, glass, rigid plastic, or metal. The remaining percentage of our packaging is mostly made up of multi-material plastics, including film and flexible materials. This format is valuable in food packaging to protect our products throughout the entire shelf life, maintain quality, prevent food waste, and deliver functionality that meets customer and consumer expectations. However, the recycling infrastructure in many of the countries where we sell our products is not yet advanced enough to collect, recycle, and convert these materials into viable end products at scale.
While we are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain committed to our goal, we may not be able to achieve it by the end of 2025 given what’s required within the entire packaging ecosystem for the remaining part of our portfolio to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable. We are continuing to evaluate our sustainable packaging strategy, next-generation packaging goals, and design principles for innovations to align with our company strategy and net zero ambitions, and we are heavily investing in external consortiums and initiatives to drive recycling and composting materials and infrastructure.
* Based on weight of consumer and traded packaging materials. 2023 calculation covers global packaging and select external manufacturing data.
Designing Better Packaging
When we design packaging for our wide range of products, we consider the appearance, functionality, cost, and environmental impact, focusing on product integrity through production, distribution, shelf life, and end-of-life.
Incorporating more post-consumer recycled content into our portfolio
With the announcement of our goal to reduce the use of virgin plastic in our global packaging portfolio, our teams are already at work to secure a supply of more recycled content and incorporate it within our portfolio. Kraft Real Mayo, NotMayo, and Miracle Whip are leading the charge. In 2023, the brands announced the transition to 100 percent recycled content in bottles and jars in the United States beginning in 2024. Heinz also moved to 30 percent recycled content in most of its bottles in Brazil, Mexico, and Europe.
Kraft NotCheese Slices uses post-consumer recycled (PCR) content to reduce virgin plastic
One of the latest reimagined products from The ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Not Company, the joint venture between ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ and NotCo, Kraft NotCheese plant-based slices deliver flavor, melt, and texture. Launched in 2023 in the United States, the product’s packaging incorporates a minimum of 15 percent post-consumer recycled content.
Crystal Light multi-serve containers switch away from plastic
In 2023, we transitioned our multi-serve Crystal Light packaging from plastic containers to paperboard. The new paperboard packaging is widely recyclable and is anticipated to reduce plastic use by approximately 3 million pounds each year, moving us closer to achieving our Virgin Plastic Reduction goal.
Heinz recyclable closure officially rolls out in the U.K.
In 2023, our innovative mono-material dispensing Balaton closure for Heinz ketchup won several awards including the U.K. Packaging Awards and a Packaging Europe Sustainability Award. This closure is an innovative solution that replaces the non-recyclable silicone valve that is typically present in squeezy bottles, making the cap recyclable. The product was rolled out in the U.K. at the end of 2023 for 400ml and bigger top-down bottles of Heinz tomato ketchup, including 50 percent less sugar and salt varieties. In the future, the cap will also be rolled out across more of the Heinz sauces portfolio in Europe and other regions. Developed in 2022, this closure helped us achieve our goal of creating a fully circular Heinz tomato ketchup bottle in Europe.
