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Heinz bringing PAPER tomato sauce bottles to supermarket shelves

Heinz Tomato Ketchup is an iconic condiment in Australia, often found at Aussie barbecues and Bunnings sausage sizzles across the county.

It's not just the sauce inside that's iconic – just as recognisable is the Heinz bottle, with its unique octagonal shape and slow-moving pour that forces us to tap on the base to extract any remaining sauce.

While Heinz made the switch from glass to plastic packaging in the 1980s, customers can expect yet another change to the staple condiment as the company is exploring more environmentally friendly packaging options.

Protoype for Heinz paper ketchup bottle
Heinz announced their collaboration with Pulpex to develop the world's first paper sauce bottle. Source: Kraft Heinz Company

On Tuesday, Heinz announced that it has teamed up with Pulpex – a sustainable packing company that also created Johnnie Walker's paper whisky bottle – to develop a paper-based, renewable and recyclable bottle made from 100 per cent sustainably sourced wood pulp.

Heinz to be 'first sauce brand' to switch to paper bottles

This innovation by the iconic condiment brand will make Heinz "the first sauce brand to test the potential of Pulpex's sustainable paper bottle packaging for its range of world-famous condiments."

For the Kraft Heinz Company, this collaboration marks the latest step in its journey to reduce its environmental footprint.

Like many brands, the Kraft Heinz Company has previously shared its future environmental goals, which aim to make all packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 and to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Outside Kraft Heinz Company headquarters in Canada
The Kraft Heinz Company is aiming to make all of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Source: Getty

Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio said the latest innovation by the brand is a response to the industry-wide issue of packaging waste.

"That is why we are committed to taking steps to explore sustainable packaging solutions across our brands at Kraft Heinz, offering consumers more choices," said Mr Patricio.

"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.

Tomato sauce fans will have to wait for paper bottles

That said, customers might have to wait a while for paper ketchup bottles to hit shelves as Heinz and Pulpex are developing a prototype to test how the cutting-edge innovation could be used for Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottles before it goes to market.

Heinz truck delivers sauce products on highway
Heinz Ketchup fans might have to wait a while for paper ketchup bottles to hit shelves. Source: Getty

"We hope to bring this bottle to market and to be the first sauce brand to provide consumers this choice in their purchasing decisions, as many consumers today are looking for more sustainable packaging options," said Rashida La Lande of Kraft Heinz.

"We're eager to continue discovering more sustainable packaging for our beloved and iconic brands," she added.

The paper bottles would become the newest option available to Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans, joining the recyclable Heinz iconic glass bottle and plastic bottle, as well as Europe's plastic squeeze bottles with their 30 per cent recycled content and 100 per cent recyclable caps.

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