Product, Injection Stretch Blow

Greiner Packaging Reduces Weight of Händlmaier Mustard Bottle by 13%

06/03/2026 | 3 min read

Daniel Holspach

When established traditional companies like Händlmaier deliberately optimize their packaging, they create new momentum and generate added value for producers, retailers, and consumers alike. Together with Greiner Packaging, the Bavarian sauce manufacturer has fundamentally improved its popular 225 ml mustard bottle. The result: an optimized design, material savings of around 7.5 tonnes per year, and the resulting reduction in CO₂ emissions.

From a proven partnership to a sustainable optimization of the Mustard Bottle

For several years now, Händlmaier has relied on Greiner Packaging to produce its popular 400 ml mustard bottle. This successful partnership led to Greiner Packaging also taking over production of the 225 ml mustard bottle. However, Greiner Packaging did not simply assume production of the smaller bottle, but instead deliberately optimized it to achieve maximum efficiency for Händlmaier.

One of the key outcomes of the project is a 13% reduction in bottle weight. This not only saves material but also reduces CO₂ emissions, an important step that brings Händlmaier noticeably closer to its sustainability goals.

“Working with Greiner Packaging has enabled us to make our packaging not only more functional, but also more sustainable. The significant weight reduction is an important step toward achieving our sustainability goals.”

Melanie Kahrau, Head of Purchasing at Händlmaier

The lightweight Sauce Bottle in detail

The development focused on improving the bottle geometry. The previous bottle had a visible gap between the bottle and the closure. Through a revised design, this gap was eliminated while also creating a more harmonious overall shape.

The new sauce bottle offers the following optimizations:

Weight reduction from 19 g to 16.5 g
Material savings of around 7.5 tonnes per year thanks to reduced wall thickness—lowering resource consumption and supporting sustainability goals
Resulting reduction in CO₂ emissions
Precise fit of the closure for consistent application and increased user satisfaction
A more harmonious and appealing bottle design for a stronger brand presence and impact at the point of sale

The bottle also offers clear advantages in use: rounded edges and reduced wall thickness make it easier to squeeze and therefore easier to empty—an important factor for user convenience.

The closure, featuring a small opening, ensures controlled dosing of the sauce. The 225 ml PET bottle is produced using the ISBM manufacturing process and is used for various mustard varieties such as sweet mustard, honey mustard, and medium-hot mustard.

Customer Needs in Focus: Technological Advantage Through ISBM

A key success factor of the project lies in the manufacturing process used. While many competitors rely on a two-stage injection stretch blow molding process, Greiner Packaging combines preform production and the blowing process in a single step.

For customers, this means one thing above all: greater design freedom. Shapes, geometries, and the overall bottle design can be precisely tailored to individual requirements, allowing for a high degree of customization. Especially for tailor-made solutions, this freedom proves extremely valuable in the development process, enabling both functional and sustainable optimizations.

Successful Market Launch Through Strong Collaboration and Integrated Expertise

Since April, the new bottles have been available in supermarkets across Europe — a visible result of the successful collaboration. A key success factor for Greiner Packaging was the close coordination between sales and technical project management:

“This project clearly shows what is possible when technical development, sales, and the customer work closely together. The 13% weight reduction is the result of a shared commitment to innovation and sustainability.”