H.J. Heinz Co. to use PlantBottle packaging for its ketchup

Coca-Cola Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. announced a strategic partnership that enables Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle packaging. The PET plastic bottles are made partially from plants and have a lower reliance on non-renewable resources compared with traditional PET plastic bottles.
PlantBottle packaging looks, feels and functions just like traditional PET plastic and remains fully recyclable. The only difference is that up to 30% of the material is made from plants. The plant material is produced through a process that turns natural plant sugars into a key component for PET plastic. Currently, PlantBottle is made using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil.
Heinz will launch PlantBottle in all 20-oz ketchup bottles in June with “talking labels” asking, “Guess What My Bottle Is Made Of?” Packaging will be identified by a special logo and on-pack messages.
Heinz will introduce 120 million PlantBottle packages in 2011 and Coca-Cola will use more than 5 billion during the same period. Coca-Cola first launched PlantBottle in 2009 on brands that include Coke, Sprite, Fresca, iLOHAS, Sokenbicha and Dasani water.

Pictured: Coca-Cola Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. have formed a strategic partnership that enables Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle packaging, which contains 30% of its material made from plants.