Heinz announced that it is launching innovative and more sustainable caps for its squeezy sauce bottles, made to be 100 percent recyclable. The unique new cap, made of an innovative single type of material, has been created after the company invested eight years of research and development involving more than 185,000 hours and investing US$1.2 million to find a suitable replacement cap for their convenient and popular squeezy bottles, which sold one billion units globally in 2020, as per the statement.

Heinz created 45 different designs in total on the mission to create the new cap, which were printed in-house using a 3D printer. After creating the prototypes, it then followed a rigorous testing procedure to make sure the cap met the highest quality standards, said the company. The first varieties to get the new cap will be the Heinz Tomato Ketchup, and the Heinz BBQ Sauce.

The cap will be rolled out globally from 2022, starting in Europe. According to the company, the move will mean a potential one billion plastic caps can be recycled, rather than being sent to the landfill. The new innovative cap has been designed to provide the same perfect squeeze of the tomato ketchup using a single, rigid and more recyclable material. This has resulted in the cap and the ketchup bottle being easily and conveniently recycled alongside other household curbside recycling.

“We’re excited to be announcing these first-to-market innovative new caps, meaning our consumers can now recycle every part of their Heinz squeezy bottle in their weekly curbside collection. A huge amount of work has gone into finding the right solution that means no compromise on using and enjoying our hugely popular squeezy bottles for the hundreds of millions who buy them. While we know we still have more to do, from a sustainability and environmental perspective this is positive news,” said Jojo de Noronha, President of Kraft Heinz Northern Europe.

The company said it is committed to reducing packaging waste wherever possible whilst continuing to offer great value, and this move is part their pledge to aim to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.