Pioneering Heinz and Tesco Recycling Project demonstrates Berry’s circularity commitments As part of its target of achieving 30 percent circular plastic use across its fast-moving consumer goods packaging by 2030, Berry Global is collaborating in a first of its kind project launched by Heinz and Tesco in the UK to enable the recycling of soft plastics, dropped off by customers at Tesco’s in-store collection points. Heinz and Tesco have teamed up with packaging industry leader Berry Global and recycling technology experts Plastic Energy and Sabic to launch this pioneering trial, with the development of new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots which incorporate 39% ISCC PLUS-certified recycled soft plastic on a mass balance basis.
This is a prime example of an innovative advancement in circular packaging design made possible by collaboration across the entire value chain
The snap pots for Heinz’s famous Baked Beanz are produced by Berry Global. Soft plastic is returned by consumers to Tesco stores, collected
product remains fresh,” said Héloïse Carlier, Senior Packaging Development Technologist at Heinz. “With this project and our introduction of the new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots, 22 tons of soft plastics will be recycled.” To date soft plastic packaging has been notoriously difficult to recycle until 2020 just 6% of the material was being recycled in the UK. It is hoped
to keep materials in use and out of our
this venture will inspire the wider
oceans and landfills.”
industry to take action in tackling this issue, both in the UK and other
and then physically segregated for
The 39% recycled plastic that the
conversion by Plastic Energy into
new snap pots contain was validated
an optimal oil feedstock. This is
using the “mass balance approach”
combined with virgin material by Sabic
“We’re proud to have teamed up with
endorsed by ISCC. This makes it
to produce an alternative feedstock
leading experts to bring this important
possible to track the amount and
to manufacture virgin food-contact
innovation to our customers,”
sustainability characteristics of
commented Jojo de Noronha, Heinz’s
approved plastic pellets. These are
materials used in the manufacturing
President Northern Europe. “Our hope
sent to an ISCC-certified (International
process. The recycled material meets
is that this prompts an industry-wide
Sustainability & Carbon Certification)
the requirements of food-contact
look at what more can be done to
Berry Global site for manufacturing
safety regulations and provides a
address the lack of soft plastics being
into new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots.
replacement for virgin polypropylene
recycled in the UK, and we can, as a
in the thin-wall pack with no
collective, get better when it comes to
compromise on processability or
developing new packaging solutions
mechanical performance.
that are good for both our consumers
“This is a prime example of an innovative advancement in circular packaging design made possible by
countries across Europe.
and for our planet.”
collaboration across the entire value
“We want our snap pots to be
chain,” commented Jean-Marc Galvez,
more sustainable while retaining
For more information on Berry
President, Berry Global Consumer
the features that make them so
Global’s other sustainability initiatives,
Packaging International Division. “This
popular with consumers: their
visit: www.berryglobal.com/en/
approach helps capture and reuse
convenience, handy snappable format,
sustainability/sustainability-
plastics that currently go unrecycled,
microwaveability and ensuring the
strategy/product-impacts
30 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk
