Bacardi has built on its cruise ship-focused tie-up with circular packaging specialist Ecospirits, expanding the arrangement for the former’s namesake rum.
The brand owner announced today (16 July) that it has signed a “global licensing agreement” securing access to the assets in Ecospirits’ portfolio across all of brand Bacardi’s markets. As well as the rum’s Carta Blanca flagship expression, the group will use the arrangement to “explore potential future applications across additional brands, channels and sectors over time”.
Bacardi and Ecospirits, the latter of which has sold stakes in itself to Pernod Ricard and Rémy Cointreau in recent years, have been working together since 2023, when they commenced a pilot for Carta Blanca with Carnival Cruise Line. Over the three years to date, the trial has eliminated “more than 130,000” glass bottles and “more than 82,000kg” of packaging waste, according to the pair.
Bacardi linked today’s statement to its commitment to increase the use of reusable, recyclable or biodegradable packaging across a portfolio that includes Grey Goose vodka, Patron tequila and blended scotch Dewar’s.
“Expanding our work in circular packaging builds on real progress we’ve already made to reduce waste across our portfolio and reflects our ambition to keep raising the bar,” said corporate sustainability, global safety & quality VP Rodolfo Nervi. “This agreement shows how collaboration and innovation can help accelerate positive change at scale.”
Founded in 2017, Ecospirits produces the Ecotote, a reusable glass packaging system designed for the on-premise channel. Speaking to Global Drinks Intel last year, co-founder & CEO Paul Gabie emphasised the business’s “open-platform approach”.
“To become universally successful,” he said, “we can’t end up working with just one player and be a captive technology or proprietary format. Our goal is to remain an independent company and become something that’s a standard format.”
