Food and beverage giant The Kraft Heinz Company is working with UK innovator Pulpex on the project. 

The paper-based bottle is made from sustainably sourced wood pulp. It has a small plastic cap. Heinz caps are 100% recyclable. 

The two firms are working on a prototype for Heinz’s iconic Tomato Ketchup brand to see how the bottle will perform during processes such as filling and transit, and then with consumers. 

Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio said that packaging waste was an “industry-wide challenge that we must all do our part to address”.

He said: “That is why we are committed to taking steps to explore sustainable packaging solutions across our brands at Kraft Heinz, offering consumers more choices. This new Heinz bottle is one example of how we are applying creativity and innovation to explore new ways to provide consumers with the products they know and love while also thinking sustainably.”

Around 650m bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup are sold every year. 

Pulpex is based in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. The firm is already working with major brand owners including Unilever and Diageo, and has partnerships with industry suppliers including BASF and Stora Enso. 

Based on its current data, Pulpex believes the carbon footprint of Pulpex bottles is "materially less than glass and plastic on a bottle-by-bottle basis". Once used, the bottles are also expected to be widely recyclable in paper waste streams.

Pulpex CEO Scott Winston said the firm was delighted to be working with Heinz and was excited about the potential for the collaboration.

“We believe that the scope for paper-based packaging is huge, and when global household names like Heinz embrace this type of innovative technology, it’s good news for everyone – consumers and the planet,” he said.