23
Oct
Building an Authentically Sustainable Spirit Brand
As ever, the spirit industry is shifting and evolving to the changing landscape around them. Right now, the industry is navigating to a greener future, planning and actioning change across its entire operation. The immediacy of which is being driven by two parallel forces, the shifting mindset of consumers and developing regulations.
Actioning Change in Spirits
The need for change is widely understood by spirit companies, but the ‘how?’ is another matter. Alcohol producers need to be clear in their intentions and ensure real, long-term action is being taken to lessen their environmental footprint.
So, how can you action ‘true’ sustainability in spirit production and distribution from the perspective of a glass packaging manufacturer committed to real change?
The components of sustainable change seep into every aspect of the business, including the materials that are sourced, the production methods, the packaging format, the distribution method, and even the story that is relayed to consumers.
Honing in on the area of packaging, there are several ways in which spirit producers can limit their environmental impact.
Maximising the Use of Cullet
To begin with, brands can seek to integrate a higher proportion of cullet into their glass packaging. Cullet refers to recycled glass, either sourced internally from glass that didn’t meet quality control standards or externally from household glass. The introduction of cullet into glass bottles, in particular composing bottles of primarily cullet, offers two major environmental benefits; reducing the use of natural raw materials, including sand, preserving natural resources, and reducing both energy use and CO2 emissions from the melting process. For each additional 10 points of cullet used, furnaces produce 2.5% less CO2.
One of our craft clients, The Secret Garden Distillery, took a strategic approach to sustainability. As part of their sustainability agenda, they looked to minimise their Scope 3 emissions and packaging was a key initiative. The distillery chose to introduce 60% recycled glass into their 700ml bottle. They were so committed to reducing their environmental impact that they altered their recipe to avoid contrasting colours between the bottle and the gin, to complement the tint that naturally comes with recycled glass.
Lessening the Impact of the Supply Chain
Beyond the introduction of recycled content, eco-conscious spirit brands can further elevate their sustainable credentials by lightweighting their bottles. Adapting current bottle designs or embracing existing eco-designed bottle ranges can significantly reduce a bottle’s weight. In turn, this leads to significant carbon reductions in the supply chain and limits the amount of material required in the initial production.
In 2019, Verallia set a goal of reducing the average weight of our standard non-returnable bottles and jars by 3% by 2025. Our progress in 2023 means we are well on track to meet this goal, where around a hundred lightweighting projects generated a reduction of 1.3% representing savings of around 6,000 tonnes of glass.
A key definition of actioning sustainable change would be our client, Two Drifters, who are trailblazers in sustainable spirits. They produce handcrafted carbon-negative rum using science, innovation, and passion for both the industry and the environment. As part of their ongoing commitment to remain carbon negative, they sought packaging that would have minimal impact on the environment. Two Drifters switched from a previous supplier to Verallia, as we were able to lighten their bottle weight by 30% and significantly reduce associated transportation CO2 emissions. That’s due to both the weight and distance travelled, as they were now sourcing from a British supplier.
Showcasing a Sustainable Story
Beyond being an integral part of your carbon reduction plan, glass packaging can be a vessel to manifest your brand’s sustainable story. Through bespoke creations or decoration techniques, glass bottles allow you to infuse elements that reflect the environment around them or the commitment you have made.
Isle of Barra blended style with sustainability to showcase their love for their home island. The brand chose to move away from a stock bottle that was made from 100% extra white flint glass to a bespoke bottle containing 60% recycled glass content, with a reduced weight of 17%. In this bottle, they sought a hand-marbling artist that forged a shape echoing the carrageen seaweed found in the North Atlantic Sea that surrounds them. Beyond this, they injected a colour palette that was inspired by the shores to pay homage to the environment around them.
Combining Sustainability and Elegance
If you are aspiring to forge a sustainable spirit, then discover ECOVA.
Inspired by our passion to re-imagine glass packaging for a sustainable future, our experts curated the ECOVA range which fuses together ecology and value. Through quality craftmanship and an innovative approach to eco-design, our range offers the lightest cork mouth bottles available in Europe, weighing just 500g and composed of 60% recycled glass.
Whether you are a start-up distillery embarking on your journey to sustainability or a renowned brand looking to introduce more eco-conscious SKUs, ECOVA is for you.
Begin your journey to sustainability today.
