Why the Internet’s Favorite Olive Oil Now Comes in Beer Cans
Graza is thinking outside the bottle.
Photo courtesy of Graza
It’s not easy to innovate with a product as ancient as olive oil. But in recent years, one company, Graza, has embraced a “Why didn’t I think of that?” solution to the messy, leak-prone containers most olive oils come in: squeeze bottles.
With two specific products for cooking and dressing, labeled “Sizzle” and “Drizzle” respectively, Graza’s green, condiment-style bottles took social media by storm. And while we’re all for the ease of squeeze, there’s still some lingering questions when it comes to waste, namely whether we should be using disposable plastic bottles instead of something reusable. But now, Graza has a more eco-friendly solution for that problem, too.
Starting today, Graza fans shopping at Whole Foods Market might notice their beloved extra virgin olive oils coming in a different format than usual. In addition to its now-iconic bottles, the brand is putting its olive oil in aluminum cans that might, at first glance, look like a couple of large, mis-matched beers. (And not to be confused with Graza’s limited-edition canned olive oil martini.) In fact, they’re even calling them EVOO Beer Cans.
But wait, if the whole point of squeeze bottles is to be cleaner and mess-free, why go with sloppy beer cans? It comes down to sustainability. Graza’s canned oil, which comes in 16.3-fluid ounce “Drizzle” cans and 24.5-fluid ounce “Sizzle” cans, are the perfect size to refill the plastic Graza squeeze bottles you may have already purchased. According to Graza, the aluminum can is also ideal for keeping the oil inside fresher, with no UV light or oxygen exposure, until it’s ready to be opened and poured in the bottle.
Photo courtesy of Graza
And then there’s the environmental factor. Consider the recent headline-making report from the Center for Climate Integrity that accuses the plastics industry of, essentially, fraud when it comes to convincing the public how easily and effectively their plastic waste could be recycled. According to the EPA, in 2018, less than 14 percent of all plastic containers manufactured that year were recycled. Compare that with the aluminum beverage containers created that year, of which over 50 percent were recycled. Additionally, the Aluminum Association claims that aluminum cans can be recycled a nearly infinite number of times, while using just five percent of the energy it takes to create a brand new aluminum container.
All of which begs the question, just how long can you keep a Graza squeeze bottle?
“We run accelerated degradation testing on our bottles every week. What we cannot simulate is longevity as a function of how close folks keep squeeze bottles to a gas stove,” Graza CEO and co-founder Andrew Benin tells Food Network. “Anecdotally, we have customers who have been using the same squeeze bottle for 18+ months now.”
Photo courtesy of Graza
And if/when the time comes to replace your Graza bottle, according to the EPA, the PET and rPET plastics Graza uses (which have a little number one in the recycling symbol) are the most widely recyclable of any plastic waste.
Graza’s EVOO Beer Can refills officially hit Whole Foods Market locations nationwide and graza.co on May 9. They retail for $16 for the larger “Sizzle” can, and $21 for the “Drizzle” can.
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