Heinz: Lightweighting Can Ends
- Date
- 27 Nov 2006
- Documents
-
Report: Heinz Technical Report, Jan 2007
(331 kb)
CS: Heinz - cans, Feb 2007
(223 kb)
Reducing weight, reducing cost: lightweighting can ends
WRAP worked with Heinz to reduce the amount of material used in its can ends and can bodies, and ultimately the amount of household waste produced. This project has established a new lightweight benchmark for can ends resulting in substantial cost savings in materials, reduced producer responsibility and logistic costs and lower carbon emissions. The new improved ends are now on supermarket shelves across the UK.
The canned foods and pet foods industry in the UK sells nearly five billion cans every year, so the potential cost savings from lightweighting can ends is huge. WRAP worked with Heinz to trial new lightweight can ends developed by can maker Impress and steel supplier Corus, using funding from WRAP’s Innovation Fund.
This project resulted in a 10% reduction in the thickness of the can ends. If similar reductions were achieved across the market, it would result in a saving of 15,000 tonnes of steel. WRAP is now working with Heinz on the second phase of this project, which is to lightweight the can body.
Economics
By implementing the lighter weight ends, Heinz is saving 1,400 tonnes of steel and 585 tonnes of carbon emissions a year with corresponding financial savings.
WRAP is keen to encourage other can producers and fillers to replicate the success of the Heinz project to deliver further resource efficiency. More details of the savings from this lightweighting project are in the case study.
