Winner – Tequila Komos
Where Tequila Komos came up trumps in this year’s awards was with its approach to the leftover agave fibre following its production process.
Two projects are running concurrently, the first sees the fibre by-product used to make adobe bricks – an “age-old building technique in the region”. The repurposed waste acts as the organic binding material when mixed with soil that has a typical composition of sand, silt and clay. The bricks are then made available to local communities for construction purposes.
Komos has also partnered with sustainable packaging solutions provider Green Loop for the company’s Biopall pallets. Comprising 70% agave fibre – and 30% wood – the pallets, which are compostable and biodegradable, feature in the brand’s operational supply chain. “This pioneering innovation of repurposing by-product waste as a raw material greatly reduces the volume of residual agave bagasse and help reduce tree logging by 30%-70%.
Finally, about five years ago, the tequila producer has set up the Komos Foundation, a not-for-profit that “will open our first schoolhouse in Amatitan, complete a family home in Etzatlan and break ground on a safe house for women and children in 2024”.
Our judges said: “With so many recent efforts coming on-stream this year, Tequila Komos has worked hard to redirect its waste to good use.”
