Sustainable packaging for ketchup and more

Want to spice up your meal with some delicious mustard while doing something for the climate change ate the same time? That might sound strange at first, but it is precisely the goal being pursued by European food producer Develey. Anyone who likes mustard – or grill sauces, salad dressing, ketchup, or mayonnaise – can do something for the environment by buying a Develey product in sustainable packaging. The company committed itself to going carbon neutral back in 2008 and is gradually working toward a completely carbon-neutral production setup. These efforts have borne fruit, with a number of products now labeled to indicate that they have net zero emissions.

In addition to reducing its CO₂ emissions, environmentally conscious packaging solutions also have an important role to play in Develey’s efforts to improve sustainability on the shop floor. The company’s packaging strategy involves using as little packaging material as possible, closing the loop by using recycled material, and making its own packaging recyclable. It is pushing for all of the packaging used for its branded items to have a good or very good level of recyclability by 2025. And this is exactly where Greiner Packaging comes into play. The packaging experts have been working with the food producer for a long time and, like Develey, are committed to delivering sustainable packaging solutions that help advance a circular economy. The resulting development is ketchup, mustard, and sauce bottles with 30 percent r-PET content.. The bottles not only rely on recycled material but are also ideally suited for a circular economy by design. The transparent monomaterial solutions are easy to recycle. Old ketchup bottles could be made into new ones if the right collection systems are used.

Because sustainability is an increasingly important concern for a growing number of consumers, Develey provides information about the packaging material’s recycled content level on the back of the bottles. This helps shoppers to make informed choices and pick out environmentally friendly solutions from the store shelf. “We see it as our duty to do something about climate change. We are not perfect, but we are already well on the way to making ourselves even more sustainable as a business. And that includes using more sustainable packaging solutions. So with that in mind, we are delighted to have a long-standing partner in Greiner Packaging that can support our efforts using its know-how and practical expertise,” says Volker Leonhardi, Head of Marketing at Develey.

The ketchup and mustard bottles have been available in Poland and Germany since the start of 2021 and clearly highlight the two companies’ sustainability efforts. This collaborative approach has its advantages.