Heinz and Tesco launch pioneering recycling project in the UK

Berry Global is part of a first of its kind pilot project launched by Heinz and Tesco to recycle more soft plastics in the United Kingdom.

Heinz and Tesco have teamed up with packaging industry leader Berry Global and recycling technology experts Plastic Energy and Sabic to launch a pioneering trial. They hope this venture will inspire the wider industry to take action in tackling the lack of soft plastic waste being recycled in the UK and other countries across Europe.

Heinz and its expert partners have developed new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots which incorporate 39% ISCC PLUS-certified recycled soft plastic on a mass balance basis, collected from customers at Tesco’s in-store collection points. The Heinz Beanz Snap Pots contain Heinz beans in a rich tomato sauce which is a very popular side dish in the UK.

Team of leading experts
The new snap pots are produced for Heinz by Berry Superfos, while the soft plastic is returned by consumers to Tesco stores, collected and then physically segregated for conversion by Plastic Energy into an optimal oil feedstock. This is combined with virgin material by Sabic to produce an alternative feedstock to manufacture virgin, food-contact approved plastic pellets. Thereafter it is sent to an ISCC-certified (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) Berry Superfos site for manufacturing into new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots.

Jojo de Noronha, President Northern Europe at Heinz, says:

“We’re proud to have teamed up with leading experts to bring this important innovation to our customers. Our hope is that this prompts an industry-wide look at what more can be done to address the lack of soft plastics being recycled in the UK, and we can, as a collective, get better when it comes to developing new packaging solutions that are good for both our consumers and for our planet.”

Demonstrates a circular approach for soft plastics
To date soft plastic packaging has been notoriously difficult to recycle - until 2020 just 6% of soft plastic was being recycled in the UK. This project demonstrates a circular approach that helps capture and reuse plastics which currently go unrecycled. Importantly, it keeps materials in use and therefore out of landfills.

Héloïse Carlier, International Packaging Development Lead at Heinz, says:

”We want our snap pots to be more sustainable while retaining the features that make them so popular with consumers: their convenience, handy snappable format, microwaveability and ensuring the product remains fresh. With this pilot project and our introduction of the new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots, 22 tons of soft plastics will be recycled.”

A long-term relationship with new focus on circularity
As to why Berry Superfos was invited to be part of the project, Héloïse explains:

“Berry Superfos is our long-term supplier so naturally we approached them. They showed great interest in increasing the circularity of the packaging, and we therefore decide to bring them on board from the beginning. Further, Berry Superfos has the required third-party ISCC certification guaranteeing the traceability in the full supply chain.”

“Berry Superfos participated during the full development, actively collaborating with all partners and bringing into play their know-how and development capacity to launch the project on the market to our full satisfaction,” Héloïse Carlier says.

The 39% recycled plastic that the new snap pots contain was validated using the “mass balance approach” endorsed by ISCC. This makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of materials used in the manufacturing process. Heinz will launch the new Heinz Beanz Snap Pots in July 2022.