Why Heineken is breaking tradition with a unique bottle design for SA

The design of Heineken beer bottle is exactly the same in 190 countries around the globe — except one. The brand is breaking with tradition by unveiling a bold new design for its new returnable bottle in SA, a change not made anywhere else in the world.

The 650ml bottle, dubbed the “Star Bottle”, features the brand’s iconic star on its body with the Heineken name deep-etched directly into the glass. The new design is not only unique looking, it’s the first returnable Heineken bottle to be sold on South African soil.

This move underscores the company’s continued ambition towards sustainability. In 2022, Heineken invested in a cutting-edge water reclamation facility and a state-of-the-art solar power plant with more than 14,000 panels for its Sedibeng brewery, achieving an energy generation capacity of 6.5MW, reducing the brewery’s carbon emissions by about 30%.

“The new bottle is about more than only beautiful design. In 2023, 29% of our beer portfolio was in returnable bottles, this decision will result in 65% of our total beer portfolio moving out of single-use glass in 2024,” says Bhavna Mistry, senior brand manager for Heineken.

Among its ambitions, the company aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its value chain by 2040, which would position Heineken 10 years ahead of the 2050 Paris Climate Agreement target, making the company the first global brewer to commit to such an ambitious timeline.

Alongside the new returnable bottle, the brand is pleased to announce the rollout of Heineken Green Zones, a collaboration with The Greenpop Foundation.

This initiative aims to promote sustainability-focused behaviours within communities, effectively creating open parks and meadows complemented by food gardens and inspiring art installations.

The investment in Heineken Green Zones stands as one of the brand's most significant community development projects in 2024. They will be implemented in Philippi in Cape Town, as well as Eldorado Park and Lawley in Johannesburg. The company aims to complete five green zones in the first half of 2024, covering over 30,000m² with indigenous plants. 

“The Heineken Green Zones represent an important partnership between the company and communities we serve. We’re going one step further than only clearing glass, we’re replacing that glass with fields of grass,” says Mistry.

This article was sponsored by Heineken.