De Kuyper Royal Distillers has signed up as Ecospirits’ partner in the Netherlands and Belgium, with some of the company’s brands being readied for release in the refillable format.
The brand owner will be the “licenced operator” in the two markets for Ecospirits, which is partly owned by Pernod Ricard. The arrangement, for the Ecospirits Benelux division, will bear fruit for De Kuyper’s spirits and liqueur brands in its home market, with Belgium also coming online in the New Year.
Among De Kuyper’s stable of brands to make the initial move are Peachtree liqueur, which was joined by the Archers Schnappa peach liqueur a year ago, Rutte 100% Grain Vodka and Rutte Dutch Dry Gin as well as the group’s namesake Triple Sec.
The packaging concept comprises heavy-duty plastic crates that hold a 4.5-litre ‘ecotote’ bag containing the equivalent of six bottles of liquid. According to Ecospirits, on-premise outlets can reduce their use of glass and cardboard by an average of 95%.
“We are very excited about our cooperation and partnership with Ecospirits,” said De Kuyper CEO Mark de Witte. “This innovative, low-carbon and low-waste distribution technology takes us a decisive step further towards achieving our sustainability goals … .”
Pernod Ricard’s buy-in – for a minority stake – was announced in May, building on a partnership between the pair that dates back to March last year.
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