Hefty is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

brand of household products such as trash bags and

trash can A waste container, also known as a dustbin, rubbish bin, trash can, garbage can, wastepaper basket, and wastebasket, among other names, is a type of container intended to store waste that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "r ...

s, disposable

tableware Tableware items are the dishware and utensils used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. The term includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, serving utensils, and other items used for practical as well as decorative purposes. The ...

, children's disposable tableware (including their reintroduced ZooPals product line), slider closure food storage and freezer bags, plastic storage bins, and disposable

cookware Cookware and bakeware is food preparation equipment, such as cooking pots, pans, baking sheets etc. used in kitchens. Cookware is used on a stove or range cooktop, while bakeware is used in an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookwar ...

. Originally a

Mobil Mobil Oil Corporation, now known as just Mobil, is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil, formerly known as Exxon, which took its current name after history of ExxonMobil#merger, it and Mobil merge ...

product, the brand has been owned by

Reynolds Consumer Products Reynolds Group Holdings was a New Zealand–based packaging company with roots in the former Reynolds Metals Company, which was the second-largest aluminum company in the United States, and the third-largest in the world. Reynolds Metals was acqu ...

since 2010.

Retailers

Hefty products are sold nationwide (in stores and online) at

grocery stores A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop or grocer's shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a retail store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday US usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym f ...

drugstores A pharmacy (also called drugstore in American English or community pharmacy or chemist in Commonwealth English) is a premises which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacist oversees the fulfillment of ...

, and other mass merchandisers in the United States. Hefty square styrofoam food container closed

History

Hefty was founded by

in 1965. Plastics Division headquartered in

Macedon, New York Macedon is a town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 9,148 at the 2010 census. The Town of Macedon is named after the birthplace of Alexander the Great, in Ancient Macedonia. It is located in the southwest corner of W ...

, was acquired by Tenneco Packaging in 1995 with a $1.27 billion purchase of Mobil's 4,100-employee plastics division, then Pactiv Corporation (1999–2010). Hefty products have been owned or licensed by Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc, headquartered in

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and t ...

since Pactiv was acquired by Reynolds' parent company, Reynolds Group Holdings, on November 16, 2010.

OneZip

The Hefty OneZip sliding tab sealable bag, formerly known as the "rolling-action zipper profile and slipper", was created by Eric A. St. Phillips and F. John Harrington Jr. at Mobil in the early 1990s at a cost of $25 to $50 million, after having developed and evaluated various different

zipper A zipper (N. America), zip, zip fastener (UK), formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of textile, fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and oth ...

designs, and finally deciding to roll out the "boxcar-shaped version", which slides over dual plastic tracks.

Environmental concerns

Hefty was one of the brands (along with Kordite and Baggies (another

Pactiv Pactiv Evergeen Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of food packaging and foodservice products, supplying packers, processors, supermarkets, restaurants, institutions and foodservice outlets across North America. Operations Pactiv Evergreen ...

brand)) named in a complaint brought against Mobil by the United States

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

in 1992, regarding claims made by the company in advertisements and packaging, which allegedly led consumers to believe that the bags were more

biodegradable Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...

than other brands of bag, despite a lack of evidence to support this claim nor presentation of a specific definition for the term. The FTC dropped their complaint after Mobil agreed to cease making such claims.

References

External links