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 design of the new returnable Heineken 'Star Bottle'.
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.
