Flexible Plastic Packaging Recycled Into Kraft Heinz Roofing Material

In a test to demonstrate packaging sustainability, Kraft Heinz transformed recycled flexible plastic packaging into roofing material for two U.S. manufacturing plants

PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC) (“Kraft Heinz”) announced the successful completion of a pilot project to demonstrate the use of roof board made from recycled flexible packaging. The test was made possible by the Company’s participation in Materials Recovery For the Future (MRFF), a non-profit research collaborative that set out to prove technical and economic feasibility to collect, sort, bale and recycle flexible plastic packaging.

The project installed roofing material made from post-consumer flexible plastic into two Kraft Heinz manufacturing plants in Beaver Dam, Wis., and in Holland, Mich. The recycled roofing materials were installed late in 2020. The materials were comprised of 4’ X 8’ boards; 94% of each board was made of post-consumer recycled plastic and fiber. This was an important project for Kraft Heinz because the Company uses flexible plastic packaging across its product portfolio.

The pilot project will be monitored for performance versus standard building materials. If the recycled materials perform as well or better than standard building materials, Kraft Heinz will strongly consider standardizing use of this recycled material in the future. The Company will report on its use of recycled content to the Association of Plastic Recyclers Demand Champion program, after having joined late last year.

“It was a privilege being part of MRFF, which not only helped identify ways to curbside collect and recycle flexible packaging, but also identified end markets that we could leverage within our facilities. Our test project highlights the company’s commitment to sustainable packaging and the priority it places on its Environmental, Social and Governance commitments. Kraft Heinz continues to search for ways to make our packaging recyclable and to incorporate recycled content within our supply chain.” – Erik Groner (Senior Principal Packaging Engineer)

“This Kraft Heinz project is a powerful example of environmental stewardship, reducing use of virgin materials by choosing roofing material made of recycled flexible plastic packaging. Working with recyclers, they’ve provided a model for addressing expectations for full life-cycle management of plastic while using an efficient, low-cost package for consumer product protection." – Susan Graff (Vice President, Resource Recycling Systems; MRFF Research Director)

ABOUT THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY

We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC), inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2020 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.