In late 2023, Global beverage distributor Diageo entered a new partnership with ecoSPIRITS, a circular economy technology supplier. Several of Diageo’s portfolio spirits will be packaged and distributed in reusable containers and dispensers to reduce bottle waste. Gordon’s Gin, Captain Morgan rum, and Smirnoff Vodka will now be distributed in branded ecoTOTES and SmartPour dispensers.
Over the next three years, ecoSPIRITS plans to bring the devices to 18 new markets. The ecoTOTE — the company’s sustainable packaging — contains a 4.5-liter glass bottle. These boxy receptacles function like kegs. GreenBiz reported that ecoSPIRITS says the totes can refill a bottle 150 times and have a lower carbon intensity than the “number of bottles they replace at a bar after six refills.”
“This is another example of a triple win where the planet, consumers, and Diageo will all benefit,” Ewan Andrew, president of global supply chain and procurement and chief sustainability officer at Diageo, said in a press release.
“We will be able to reduce both carbon and cost, and the pubs and bars will benefit from the ease of having reusable spirits packaging.”
ecoSPIRITS, established in 2018 in Singapore, has increased its presence in the liquor industry, particularly as sustainability has become more important to consumers. Beverage producers and distributors have been working to meet customers while also putting their money where their mouth is. This partnership with Diageo signals the global alcohol conglomerate is willing to reduce its carbon footprint and waste rate.
Photo Courtesy Diageo
The first Intelligent Circular™ closed-loop network launched in 2022, along with Smirnoff Vodka in a pilot program in Indonesia. In 38 venues across Jakarta and Bali, ecoSPIRITS showed the power of circular economic technology.
According to an ecoSPIRITS press release, one Smirnoff ecoTOTE eliminates 3.3 kilograms (7.3 pounds) of carbon emissions and 99% of packaging waste associated with a traditional bottle.
“With more than 40 billion glass bottles manufactured every year in the alcohol beverage industry alone, a solution needed to be created in order to reduce the amount of waste and the carbon emission generated,” Alefiyah Sarma, CEO of Diageo Indonesia, said in a press release.
“Through this innovation, we can reduce 99% of our packaging waste and eliminate the emissions of 3.3kg of carbon. Smirnoff wants to become the most sustainable vodka brand. Smirnoff invites our business partners, the outlets, to participate in this initiative and switch from glass bottles to the ecoTOTE.”
The Indonesia campaign bodes well for American bars and restaurants. Diageo estimates that SmartPour and ecoTOTE will eliminate up to 95% of glass and cardboard waste, or the equivalent of 1,000 bottles, over their lifespan. Diageo has corporate sustainability goals it wants to achieve. Reducing waste and Scope 3 emissions are on the docket, and this partnership with ecoSPIRITS pushes the company forward.
When the ecoTOTEs are empty, they are collected and sent to one of 30 ecoPLANTs for washing, refilling, and redistribution. Participants simply need to pick up the phone and schedule the pickup and dropoff.
Photo Courtesy ecoSPIRITS
According to ecoSPIRITS, it operates in more than 27 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It works with more than 3,000 top hotels, bars, and restaurants, implementing its technology and improving closed-loop strategies. The company also works with businesses like Carnival Cruise Line to bring Bacardi into international waters. The ecoTOTE model can be used for glass, high-grade plastic, and aluminum receptacles.
The company also has deals with smaller liquor brands, such as Candela Mamajuana Rum. Since January 2023, Alejandro Russo, the company’s CEO, said he’s been working with ecoSPIRITS to bring his rum sustainability to the U.S.
“ecoSPIRITS’ mission is to end single-use glass in the spirits and wine industry,” Paul Gabie, CEO of ecoSPIRITS, said in a statement. “For the circular economy to achieve global scale, innovators like ecoSPIRITS need the support of industry leaders like Diageo in catalyzing the linear to circular packaging transition.” “As such, this new global partnership is a significant milestone for ecoSPIRITS and our journey to a circular future,” Gabie continued. “We are grateful to our partners at Diageo for the seriousness of their commitment to a more sustainable and inclusive world.”
