Appealing to the Ethical Drinker

Whilst quality of ingredients, taste, and price remain priorities in purchasing decisions, there is another factor that is high on the agenda: ethics. Consumers are increasingly concerned with the practices that led to their favourite tipple reaching the shelf. As awareness of social and environmental concerns spreads amongst consumers, they have a greater understanding of the impact their choices have. And, as a ripple effect, they are choosing spirit brands that adopt greener practices and maintain strong ethical standards.

 

Ethical Consumption

Ethics, in terms of business, is an all-encompassing approach that ensures a company is governed by strong moral principles, whether that be ensuring the wellbeing of the people it employs or adopting greener practices to limit their environmental impact. In a survey conducted by YouGov, they explored the top ethical concerns for shoppers in the UK, finding animal welfare, recyclability of packaging, and amount of packaging being the top 3 concerns retrospectively.

37% of consumers stated that recyclability of packaging was ‘a lot’ of a concern when shopping. In particular, when asked how environmental sustainability affects purchase decisions, 32% of all adults stated that it would impact them a ‘fair amount’ and this figure jumps to 39% when specifically looking at the 18-24 age group category. When looking at the wider market globally, it can be seen that consumers across the majority of regions would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

Showcase your Sustainable Story

We anticipate the ethical consumer values to remain and even grow amongst those that may not prioritise yet, it is vital that spirit brands appeal to these ethical drinkers that comprise a large proportion of the market.

Consumers are looking to purchase from spirit brands that have demonstrated a true commitment to sustainability, such as a granular ESG report. The Footprint Drinks ESG Trends Report 2023 showed that 59% of consumers consider a brand’s green credentials when choosing what drink to buy. In the 2024 Verallia Trends Report, four major trends were observed, and ‘the return of ethics and sustainability’ was a primary focus, with brands embracing packaging simplicity, and dedicated to recycling and reuse circuits.

However, a key element of influencing buying behaviour through your sustainable commitment is being forthcoming with your story. A drinks consumer who desires to make conscious buying decisions needs insight into a brand’s ethical and sustainable practices. Packaging is a vital medium to convey a story, especially when it is the consumer’s first interaction with a brand. The bottle and label can act as the book to inscribe your sustainable story.

 

Tangible Sustainability in Glass Packaging

Consumers across the board are becoming more informed on sustainability, and with this can easily identify greenwashing claims. They want authentic and transparent ethical evidence.

For this, brands should look to partner and comply with certified sustainable auditors, certifications, and commitments. These organisations have built a reputation of only partnering with companies that are committed to real change, demonstrating clear action that is lessening their environmental impact.  Think of the likes of B-Corp, Living Wage Employer, or 1% for the Planet. These are recognisable to consumers and give an instantons positive reflection on your spirit brand.

On the theme of transparency, consumers seek tangibility in a spirit brands sustainable commitment as it helps to solidify the actions that have been taken. Taking an eco-centric approach to your bottle design can instantaneously demonstrate sustainable action. Take for example a bottle that contains high percentages of recycled glass, it naturally brings with it an off-white hue compared to the white flint counterpart, which signifies your prioritisation of recycling materials rather than drawing more raw materials from the environment.

 

Showcasing a Sustainable Ethos

The Isle of Barra is the most westerly distillery in Scotland, and they are a perfect example of how you can demonstrate sustainability in your glass packaging. Their ambition was to reflect their love for the local environment in their glass packaging. A hand-marbling artist used the signature botanical carrageen seaweed to develop a mould that reflected their shores on the Atlantic Ocean which was adapted into an exquisite glass bottle by the Verallia team.

Aside from their aesthetic paying homage to the local environment, the development of the bottle respected the planet through their eco-conscious choices. They opted for the inclusion of 50% recycled glass and lightened the bottle by 17% to minimise the use of raw materials. Furthermore, sourcing from a UK supplier meant their bottles were produced 383 miles closer than their previous supplier.

 

What is Premium Glass Packaging?

The perception of premium is changing, shifting to one that is more values-based. In the past, heavy white flint bottles would have been indicative of premium, but today they portray a different story, one of wastefulness.

For many of our forward-thinking clients looking to adopt premium, sustainable packing we are prioritising eco-design that lightweights the bottle but infuses decorative techniques to enhance the aesthetic as a form of ‘new premium’.  Reducing the weight of a bottle reduces CO2 emissions along the entire value chain. As a business, we have set a goal to reduce the average weight of our standard bottles and jars by 3% by 2025. Whilst the bottles have a premium aesthetic, we have endeavoured to produce eco-centric designs that are cost-effective to spirit producers, which is exemplified in our innovative ECOVA Range.

Consumer prioritisation of ethical purchases continues to grow, and the market is responding to this by intertwining sustainability into internal practices and external stories. As we know, the road to sustainability is not a singular one, but rather a collaborative effort across the spirit industry.

 

To discover how your glass packaging can showcase sustainability to ethically-conscious consumers, speak to our experts.