The SimpliCycle valve, developed as a recyclable alternative to silicone valves by Aptar Food + Beverage, is to be adopted by several Kraft Heinz brands by the end of the year.
The new valve will be found in Kraft Heinz Ketchup packaging., as well as Heinz Mustard, Heinz Mashups, and Heinz BBQ Sauce.
The decision to convert to the new packaging followed an extensive period of testing that was coordinated and administered by both companies to ensure consumer experience remained unchanged. These showed that the value maintained the same high performance, cleanliness, control and convenience as silicone valves.
The SimpliCycle valve was awarded the Best CSR/Sustainability Initiative at the World Food Innovation Awards ceremony held virtually on YouTube in March 2021. Made from a low-density TPE material, the valve floats, allowing it to be easily separated from the PET stream during recycling and sorted into the PP/PE olefin stream.
Aptar Food + Beverage, which is part of Aptar Group. Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacturing of a broad range of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active material science solutions, also received recognition for its development of SimpliCycle TPE valves with closures for PET, HDPE, and PP bottles from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR). The recognition was based on the technical recyclability of the valve in compliance with the APR Critical Guidance Protocol.
“We are proud of our collaboration with Aptar on the utilisation of the SimpliCycle valve as it helps further advance our goal of full package recyclability by 2025,” said Chris Max, research lead of packaging sustainability for Kraft Heinz.
Kraft Heinz is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest in the world, with eight, $1 billion dollar-plus brands.