Heinz, Coke Announce Green Bottle Initiative

In a joint announcement Wednesday, Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE:KO) and H.J. Heinz Co. (NYSE:HNZ) revealed plans for Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle packaging. The PET plastic bottles are made with plants and rely less on non-renewable resources than the traditional PET plastic bottles.

The bottles, which are created using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil, are the same as the traditional models in both appearance and function and remain completely recyclable.

“PlantBottle is revolutionizing plastic, and our partnership with Heinz is paving the way for industry-wide collaboration,” said Coca-Cola chairman and CEO, Muhtar Kent. “This partnership is a great example of how business are working together to advance smart technologies that make a difference to our consumers and the planet we all share.”

Heinz Chairman, President and CEO, William R. Johnson echoed Kent’s sentiments.

“The partnership of Coca-Cola and Heinz is a model of collaboration in the food and beverage industry that will make a sustainable difference for the planet,” he said. “Heinz Ketchup is going to convert to PlantBottle globally, beginning with our best-selling 20-ounce variety of Heinz Ketchup, which will reach consumers this summer.”

Both leaders hope that other companies will follow their lead in transforming how food is packaged globally.

The bottles will feature “talking labels” that will ask, “GUESS WHAT MY BOTTLE IS MADE OF?” PlantBottle has already been in use by Coca-Cola since 2009. Heinz’s adoption of the new bottle will be the product’s biggest change to its iconic ketchup bottles since it first introduced plastic in 1983.