Hong Kong, 9 March 2022. French drinks group Pernod Ricard is partnering with Ecospirits to pilot an innovative closed-loop distribution system in Hong Kong and Singapore. Joined by the company’s brands Absolut Vodka, Beefeater London Dry Gin, and Havana Club Rum, this partnership will help reduce waste and carbon emissions resulting from the production and transportation of glass bottles and other secondary packaging.
The partnership is a strong demonstration of Pernod Ricard’s commitment to ‘Circular Making’, one of the four pillars of its sustainability roadmap: minimizing waste at every step by imagining, producing and distributing its products and experiences in ways that optimize and help preserve natural resources.
Hong Kong and Singapore have the highest density of bars and restaurants in the world. Although glass bottles behind the bars are infinitely recyclable, recent studies estimate that less than 15% of glass in Hong Kong and 11% of the glass in Singapore is actually being recycled, while the rest is sent to landfill.
The new collaboration will see Pernod Ricard’s premium spirits transported in bulk and delivered to bars in Ecospirit’s Ecotote format, a fully reusable 4.5-litre glass container, instead of 75cl glass bottles. Once empty, Ecototes will be returned to its Ecoplant, where they are sanitized and refilled, in line with standards of leading international distillers.
With over 80 bars across Hong Kong and Singapore joining the pilot program, the initiative will reduce carbon emissions by an estimated average of 66% across the two cities compared to the traditional packaging and distribution model.
