Fill ‘er up – with ketchup: an open letter

Dear William R. Johnson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer H.J. Heinz Company:

Ah, the times they are changing. It used to be that Heinz ketchup was Heinz ketchup: tomato paste, white vinegar, sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and spices. And, I have to admit that I'm a fan of your classic, traditional red stuff.  I like it not because I'm a brand junkie or logo hound, but because Heinz ketchup just plain ol' tastes better than any other ketchup. Now in the 21st century there's even more to celebrate about Heinz ketchup – a brand new flavor, an organic option and various studies showing the benefits of eating tomato-based products.

I also see on your Web site that you are committed to sustainability. In particular, I am struck by your goal to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent over the next 10 years through reductions in energy consumption and packaging. Along those lines, I have a great and, I think, somewhat revolutionary idea, to help you reach your goal of reducing packaging by 15 percent: refillable bottles. Yes, I figure we've been focusing on the recycling part of "reduce, reuse, recycle" for long enough. After all, recycling perfectly good containers will never be anywhere near as good as reusing the container itself.

I proposed this refillable concept to the Canadian grocery store giant Galen Weston in an open letter published by the Globe and Mail in 2008.  Alas, while the idea garnered immediate attention (more than a hundred readers responded), Galen didn't. Then, not so long ago, it hit me. The refillable concept shouldn't begin as some wide-ranging grocery store concept but as the initiative of one inspired, long-trusted and visionary product. That's when I thought of you.

I am envisioning self-serve "Filling Station" kiosks — nestled in amongst the other condiments — for specially designed refillable Heinz ketchup bottles (the fast food drink dispenser model comes to mind). I would suggest sticking to the classic ketchup for now and then you could always expand to include some of your other specialty flavors (ketchup made with basalmic vinegar? I haven't tried it yet but it sounds tasty).  The North American grocery-store-going public is ready: we already arrive at our favourite grocery store with a bunch of reusable bags and increasingly scrutinize our food options for not just price, but also country of origin, ingredients and production methods. In other words, many of us want our food purchases to play an important role in our health and the health of the planet.

So, it's just a matter of time before some food manufacturer begins the movement up the ladder from recycling to reusing.  Whoever makes the first step will garner a lot of attention and play a critical role in how we interact with, and give respect to, what the earth provides us.  Your Mission Statement's commitment to "the sustainable health of people [and] the planet" fits perfectly with this.

Perhaps there will be those who question my proposition that ketchup is the right place to begin this packaging revolution. But, ketchup is a fundamental condiment, and Heinz is the brand on which that foundation was created. We are constantly adding a little of the red stuff here and there and we always need a bottle in the fridge. I challenge you to go beyond following the trends in sustainability and corporate social responsibility and begin the revolution.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Good

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Jennifer Good is an Associate Professor in Communication, Popular Culture and Film at Brock University