Dive Brief:
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McCormick will stop using metal cans for its black pepper and Old Bay seasonings, according to Baltimore Business Journal.
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The two popular cooking ingredients will go into fully recyclable plastic containers, company CEO Lawrence Kurzius told shareholders at McCormick's annual meeting. Samples of the new containers were included in a gift bag. The new packages are expected to be available nationwide this summer, and have the same quantity of spice as the tin cans.
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Kurzius said the switch reflects the company's interest in being environmentally friendly.
Dive Insight:
RFgen, whose business is helping businesses better manage inventory, noted last summer the green packaging market is expected to grow by a rate of more than 6% between 2015 and 2021. While McCormick certainly is climbing on that bandwagon with its switch from metal cans to recyclable plastic, there's more to it than just being environmentally friendly.
Another part of the story is their metal packaging has included a chemical known as BPA – bisphenol A – which some recent studies have found can impair development in children. McCormick's aim is to get BPA out of all its packaging by the end of this year.
The new containers are being made from the same plastic – polyethylene terephthalate, or PET for short – used for some water and soda bottles. The website BanTheBottle.net noted Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year, with about 23% getting recycled. With household plastic, including juice containers, food packages and plastic bags generally not being directed into a recycling stream, one might wonder if McCormick's green efforts might better be redirected into truly beneficial programs.
The spice maker is the latest food manufacturer to look for more environmentally friendly ways to package their products. Danone and Nestle Waters, the world's largest bottled-water manufacturers, have joined with California startup Origin Materials to create the NaturALL Bottle Alliance, an initiative that aims to produce plastic bottles from 100% sustainable sources like cardboard and sawdust. Coca-Cola, Pepsico and other major companies are developing plant-based bottles made from mushrooms and seaweed. With consumers becoming more concerned about their food and where it comes from, McCormick might be wise to tap into that interest, though doing so is unlikely to meaningfully boost sales for the company.