ecoSPIRITS and Local Spirits Partner with Scandic Hotels Across Denmark
COPENHAGEN 22 October 2024 Local Spirits, ecoSPIRITS’ licensed operator for Denmark, has signed an agreement with Scandic Hotels Denmark – the Danish division of the largest hotel chain in the Nordics region – to supply its range of ecoTOTE format spirits and liqueurs to the hotel group’s properties across the country. Most of the company’s hotels in Copenhagen have already made the switch to closed loop spirits packaging, with a total of 27 outlets across Denmark expected to transition over the coming months. Scandic Hotels Denmark’s partnership with Local Spirits includes both pouring spirits and liqueurs, which will be featured as Danish-made and organic spirits on drinks menus alongside details of the sustainability-focused partnership with ecoSPIRITS. The new collaboration will help Scandic Hotels Denmark eliminate more than 95% of the packaging waste associated with its most popular spirits pours, while also supporting its ambition to forge new relationships with local and organic producers.
Local Spirits will supply spirits and liqueurs in ecoTOTE format to all Scandic Hotels in Denmark.
In March 2023, the Danish drinks company, Local Spirits, started working with ecoSPIRITS as its licensed operator for Denmark. The company is focused on environmentally-friendly products and practices, and it distributes predominantly local and organic spirits to the on and off-trade sectors. Local Spirits sells and distributes more than 300 products from 25 different Danish producers, as well as a few international craft brands. It has 20 different spirits SKUs available in ecoTOTE format, which it supplies to more than 100 outlets across Denmark.
Scandic Hotels has 27 properties across Denmark and it is focused on supporting local companies and producers.
Scandic Hotels has the largest and widest network of hotels in the Nordic market, supported by 19,000 employees. The company started in 1963 in Sweden and it now has 280 hotels in operation (and under development) in six countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Poland. Scandic Hotels’ Danish arm comprises 27 outlets, representing a total of more than 5,900 rooms, and of these, many of the Copenhagen-based sites have already started taking delivery of spirits in ecoTOTE format. One of the first to start using the ecoSPIRITS closed loop packaging system was the centrally-located Scandic Spectrum, which has around 600 rooms and the restaurant Ansvar, which is famed for its celebration of ‘green cuisine’. Scandic Hotel Denmark’s venues outside of Copenhagen, such as Scandic Aarhus City and Scandic Kolding, have also started using the ecoSPIRITS system.
Scandic Hotels in cities such as Copenhagen and Aarhus (pictured above) are taking delivery of spirits in ecoTOTE format.
Scandic Hotels is Denmark’s only hotel chain to be certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, one of the world’s toughest environmental certifications. By moving to closed loop packaging, Scandic Hotels Denmark will avoid 60-90% of the carbon emissions and eliminate more than 95% of the packaging waste associated with the packaging and distribution of its most popular spirits pours.
The group is also participating in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, a program established by ecoSPIRITS and sustainability pioneer, Green Steps Group. Under the program, one tree will be planted for every ecoTOTE delivered to a Scandic hotel in Denmark, jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS, Local Spirits and the spirits brand partners.
In addition to its commitment to a more sustainable future, Scandic Hotels Denmark has a focus on supporting local suppliers and Danish-made produce. Scandic is now the first major hotel chain in Denmark to use Local Spirits as its main supplier, with the majority of the spirits (up to 15 SKUs in total) packaged in ecoTOTE format, including the hotels’ house pour spirits. This includes the hotels’ house pour gin, which is the small batch Local Spirits Distilled (LSD)’s Organic Gin, made in Denmark using organic botanical ingredients. Also on the list is the Danish double malt whisky, Stauning HØST (“harvest”), which is popular as a base for whisky-based cocktails. House pour liqueurs, such as the uniquely-named Bad Boy Coffee Liqueur from the Danish producer, Bad Company Spirits, will also be delivered in ecoTOTE format, for cocktails such as the espresso martini.
The hotels will take several Danish-made and organic products from Local Spirits, including LSD Organic Gin, Stauning HØST whisky, and Bad Boy Coffee Liqueur.
“I am pleased that we are expanding the collaboration with Local Spirits to all of our 27 hotels. Our experience shows that bartenders and guests greatly appreciate the quality of the products and local storytelling – it creates joy, both to prepare and to enjoy tasty and organic cocktails. In addition to this, by taking delivery of spirits in ecoTOTE format we are eliminating the need for several thousand single use glass bottles, which makes this collaboration even more exciting. It is in Scandic’s DNA to take responsibility when it comes to even more sustainable transformation and hotel operations, and I hope that our collaboration with Local Spirits can lead others to make similar choices.”
“The fact that Denmark’s largest hotel chain has selected us as the main supplier of spirits is a huge recognition of our work with local and organic producers, and our use of environmentally-friendly and CO2-saving delivery solutions. We are proud that Scandic is placing its trust in us because this will hopefully pave the way for more people to open their eyes to local and organic premium spirits and to ecoSPIRITS’ circular delivery solution, as reuse is clearly preferable to recycling when it comes to glass packaging,”
“Jeppe, Martin, and the Local Spirits team are focused on working with like-minded players in the hospitality sector. By using the ecoSPIRITS system for several local and organic spirits, Scandic Hotels Denmark will soon see a significant reduction in packaging waste and CO2e, alongside the practical benefits of using ecoSPIRITS in its operation. Karsten and the Scandic team’s commitment to an environmentally-friendly operation is real and contagious. The transition to circular requires every partner to contribute to the closed loop, and I’m thankful that Local Spirits, its brand partners, and Scandic, recognise the efficiencies of ecoSPIRITS.”
For more information about Scandic Hotels, please contact Anna Kirstine Mouritzen on [email protected]. For more information about Local Spirits, please contact Jeppe Rasch Christensen on [email protected]. For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications [email protected].
About Scandic
Scandic is Denmark’s and the Nordic region’s largest hotel chain. Scandic is also Denmark’s only Swan-labelled hotel chain. The certification means that the hotels meet a number of strict requirements relating to – among other things – water and energy consumption, waste, food waste, chemicals, biodiversity and ecology. The Nordic Ecolabel requires constant improvement and development towards a more sustainable hotel operation – a journey that has been part of Scandic’s DNA since 1993.
For more information, visit: www.scandichotelsgroup.com.
About Local Spirits
Local Spirits is a Danish distributor of local, organic spirits and currently sells over 300 products from 25 different Danish producers. Almost 50% of the range is organic, and most bestsellers are not only sold in bottles but also in CO2 – and price-saving packaging formats that make it possible to use local and organic products on a larger scale. Local Spirits uses a circular delivery solution that replaces traditional glass bottles with reusable units – ecoTOTEs from ecoSPIRITS.
For more information, please visit www.localspirits.dk.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow in 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, please visit https://ecospirits.global/.
Diageo’s Ketel One Makes ecoTOTE Debut in The Netherlands with Amanti Cocktails
AMSTERDAM 1 October 2024 Diageo has launched distribution of its Ketel One vodka brand in ecoTOTE format in The Netherlands, as part of its recently announced global agreement with ecoSPIRITS. ecoTOTEs are filled at a new ecoPLANT at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam where Ketel One is produced, and they are then deployed to premium cocktail company, Amanti Cocktails, for the creation of pre-mixed cocktails. Amanti is distributing the Ketel One cocktails – such as the espresso martini – to more than 100 bars in cities including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. The activity marks the first time Ketel One vodka has been made available in ecoTOTE format globally.
Ketel One vodka’s ecoTOTE debut will service bars across key cities in The Netherlands.
Ketel One is a family-made vodka brand created in 1983 by the Nolet Family in Schiedam, in the Netherlands. The Nolet Distillery, which was established more than 300 years ago, started by producing the grain-based spirit genever before expanding into other drinks, including vodka. The super premium Ketel One vodka is crafted in a copper pot still in combination with modern distilling techniques. In 2008, the Nolet Group created a 50-50 joint venture company with Diageo to market and distribute Ketel One vodka globally. The Schiedam-based Nolet Distillery is now home to a new ecoPLANT, where ecoTOTEs are filled (and cleaned, sanitised and refilled) with Ketel One vodka.
The family run Nolet Distillery in Schiedam produces Ketel One vodka and is now home to a new ecoPLANT.
Ketel One vodka in ecoTOTE format is sent from the ecoPLANT to the Amsterdam-based company Amanti Cocktails, where it is made into pre-mixed cocktails such as the much-loved espresso martini, for delivery to bars across the country. The empty ecoTOTEs are sent back to the ecoPLANT where they are cleaned, refilled, and sent back to Amanti, up to 150 times, eliminating the need for more than 1,500 glass bottles per month. The ecoTOTE is expected to deliver a carbon emissions reduction after the sixth use, with an anticipated total carbon reduction of 60%.
Amanti Cocktails creates ready-made premium cocktails for bars and hospitality venues across The Netherlands.
Amanti Cocktails was set up by Kas de Bruijne, who spent many years designing cocktail menus for Michelin starred chefs, and Tjeerd Schravendeel, an importer of innovative catering equipment. Together they started Amanti with the aim of developing ready-made premium cocktails “that are indistinguishable from freshly made cocktails”, specifically for the catering and hospitality industry. More than 100 bars in the Netherlands are taking delivery of the pre-mixed Ketel One cocktails, including the three-strong Benji’s, a café concept described as a “peaceful green oasis with an industrial feel”, and the popular restaurant-bar, Badhuis, all based in Amsterdam. Amanti Cocktails is also working with Hilton Double Tree Hotel in Amsterdam, which will start with a new draft cocktail concept in October 2024.
The Amsterdam-based Benji’s, Badhuis and Hilton Double Tree (all pictured above) are examples of bars taking delivery of the pre-mixed cocktails.
This activity in the Netherlands represents one of the first new markets out of an expected 18 for Diageo since it announced a three-year global agreement with ecoSPIRITS in November last year, for the distribution of a range of Diageo spirits brands in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology. Diageo first started working with ecoSPIRITS through the Diageo Sustainable Solutions programme in 2021. The global roll out of ecoSPIRITS forms part of Diageo’s goal of reducing carbon emissions across the supply chain. As part of this particular project, ecoPLANT No. 049 was commissioned in Schiedam, Netherlands, at the Nolet Distillery. In addition, Diageo and ecoSPIRITS have developed co-branded ecoTOTEs for Ketel One vodka.
“We are delighted to partner with ecoSPIRITS so Ketel One can now be distributed in an ecoTOTE, helping us to reduce the number of glass bottles used and our carbon footprint. We’re the bartenders favourite vodka, so we’re making it even easier for them to use Ketel One, whilst also delivering a sustainability benefit. As a family made brand, we are passionate about exploring new ways to benefit bartenders, our customers and the community. We look forward to the roll out and hopefully extending the partnership to more markets in future.”
“At Amanti Cocktails we are passionate about sustainability and reducing waste, so this partnership, which features Ketel One delivered in the low waste ecoTOTE format, aligns well with our company ethos. The amount of glass waste will be dramatically reduced and we also strongly believe that it will make the pre-batching process quicker and more efficient overall.”
“Ketel One vodka is much-loved by bar tenders globally and is a great brand for premium pre-mixed drinks, so we are delighted it has been chosen to debut the ecoSPIRITS packaging technology for Diageo in the Netherlands, in collaboration with Amanti Cocktails. This will immediately reduce single use packaging waste for more than 100 bars, while also making it quicker and easier for venues to serve Ketel One cocktails.”
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications [email protected].
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Guinness. Diageo is a global company whose products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.
Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
About Amanti Cocktails
Amanti Cocktails was founded by Kas de Bruijne and Tjeerd Schravendeel with the intention of making convenient, quality pre-mixed cocktails for the on-trade. Its range includes an Espresso Martini, a Paloma and an Aperol Spritz.
For more information visit: www.amanticocktails.com
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow in 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, please visit https://ecospirits.global/.
ecoSPIRITS Releases Upgraded Impact Calculator for Enhanced Sustainability Reporting
SINGAPORE 16 September 2024 ecoSPIRITS has released an important upgrade to the way it tracks packaging waste and carbon emissions impact. The new ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator builds on the original ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, which was first released in October 2021, and developed in collaboration with Deloitte. The enhanced tool enables ecoSPIRITS and its brand partners, channel partners, and outlet partners around the world to measure the positive impact of the ecoSPIRITS technology for their spirits supply chains. This upgrade project has been completed with Circul’R, a leading French circular economy consulting firm, in a study jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS and global spirits producer Pernod Ricard, for the benefit of everyone using the ecoTOTE and other ecoSPIRITS’ technologies around the world.
The new Impact Calculator estimates both carbon emissions and packaging waste saved by using the ecoSPIRITS system.
The ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator was originally based on a comparative life cycle emissions study performed by Deloitte Singapore in 2021, drawing on the GHG Protocol Initiative and using standard CO2e conversion factors. The study estimated emissions from packaging production, along with the material transport steps related to the movement of spirits from distillation to the consumer. Like the new ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator, the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator estimated the total carbon footprint reduction for any individual spirits brand based on a specific point of origin, point of consumption and supply chain connecting the two.
The ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator models the linear life cycle of a single use glass bottle versus the circular life cycle of the ecoTOTE.
In early 2024, ecoSPIRITS and Pernod Ricard appointed French circular economy consulting firm Circul’R to conduct an independent validation of the original ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator and to assist with upgrades to align with evolving carbon accounting standards and best practices. Circul’R provides companies and territories with the means to effectively reduce their environmental impact by accompanying them on all the steps of their transition towards a circular economy. Its mission is carried out with the support of the network of more than 1,000 solution providers and experts that make up the Circul’R ecosystem.
Circul’R was appointed to ensure the tracking and reporting of the positive CO2e impact resulting from the use of ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology was in line with rapidly evolving carbon accounting and environmental claims. Circul’R recommended a number of technical modifications to the carbon calculator to ensure it covered a wider range of possible supply chain scenarios. As a result of these recommendations, new features have now been added to improve the tool’s accuracy and ease of use. Among these new features is the ability to calculate carbon emissions for the pre-fill transport step and end-of-life step for the tanker delivery of spirits to the ecoPLANT in bulk containers. The tool has also been adjusted to ensure the weight of the sea container is accurately factored into the carbon footprint calculations, and it is also now possible to include calculations for different types of vehicles across various transportations steps. New end-of-life methods, such as incineration, have also been introduced. Finally, the impacts of adapting the tool to various markets across different countries have been carefully examined at each stage of the life cycle, including sourcing, usage, and end-of-life. The tool’s functionalities have been refined and impact factors added to ensure it accurately reflects the specificities of each region.
“At Pernod Ricard, we are strongly committed to reducing our environmental footprint at every stage of our value chain, and we believe the success of our strategy lies in our ability to measure impact. Contributing to the enhancement of the Impact Calculator, alongside ecoSPIRITS and Circul’R, allows us to better explain the environmental benefits of circular packaging solutions and further embark all our stakeholders to drive positive change across the spirits industry.”
“Collaborating on the enhancement of the ecoSPIRITS carbon assessment tool has been a rewarding experience. We are delighted to have contributed to this impactful project and to have assisted Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS in accurately measuring the environmental performance of the innovative ecoSPIRITS solution. We hope that this tool will strengthen its role in driving meaningful progress towards reducing the carbon footprint in the spirits industry.”
“The original ecoSPIRITS carbon assessment tool has undergone some important upgrades from its first to its second version, and we are grateful for the expert advice and validation provided by Circul’R. By addressing key issues related to the user interface, methodology and clarity, we can now provide a reliable and comprehensive assessment of the carbon footprint of spirits distribution, supporting better decision-making towards sustainability goals.”
The waste calculator component of the ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator takes into account the weight, material composition and average life cycle of both packaging options (traditional glass spirits bottles and reusable ecoTOTEs). The calculator also considers the in-outlet practice of refilling spirits bottles from ecoTOTEs for presentation to consumers. Country-specific waste management factors have also been added. Overall, the ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator can provide a validated accounting of both the CO2e and packaging waste avoided through use of the ecoSPIRITS closed loop technology platform for individual spirits in specific supply chains in any part of the world.
The Impact Calculator can be used to estimate the packaging waste saved by distributing brands – such as Absolut vodka – in ecoTOTE format.
The upgraded ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator further validates the claim that use of the ecoSPIRITS system leads to an average of 95% less single use glass and cardboard waste and an average reduction of 60-90% in the carbon emissions footprint of premium spirits packaging and distribution. By using the revamped ecoSPIRITS Impact Calculator, it is possible to accurately and easily measure the sustainability impact for specific brands or cocktails, or over historical or predicted time periods.
Pernod Ricard and Havana Club are using an ecoSPIRITS closed loop system to serve on-premise customers in Cuba.
In January 2024 Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS launched a closed loop system for Havana Club rum in the brand’s home nation of Cuba. Havana Club has activated a dedicated ecoPLANT™ at its home distillery in San José de Las Lajas, Cuba, while two Iberostar Group hotels became the first hotels in Cuba to take spirits in closed loop packaging, taking delivery of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años rum in ecoTOTE format. The initiative in Cuba anticipates concrete outcomes, including reduced bottle imports and glass waste, which will translate into an 88% reduction in the carbon emissions footprint related to premium spirits packaging and distribution and a reduction of glass waste by 99%.
The brand’s carbon emissions related to premium spirits packaging and distribution have been reduced by an estimated 88%.
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About Circul’R
Circul’R provides companies and territories with the means to effectively reduce their environmental impact by accompanying them on all the steps of their transition towards a circular economy. The Circul’R team now counts more than 30 people who accompany companies and territories in their transformation every day. This mission is carried out with the support of the network of more than 1000 solution providers and experts that make up the Circul’R ecosystem.
For more information, please visit https://en.circul-r.com
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand-building, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term development of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic convivialite. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to €12,137 million in fiscal year FY23. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI;ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.
For more information, please visit www.pernod-ricard.com
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow in 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, please visit https://ecospirits.global/.
ecoSPIRITS Secures USD 3M Green Loan Financing from DBS Bank to Support Manufacturing Scaleup
SINGAPORE 20 August 2024 ecoSPIRITS has announced that it has secured USD 3 million in trade finance facilities from DBS Bank, marking one of the first ‘green’ loans for the packaging technology sector in the region. The new financing, which was secured under Enterprise Singapore’s ‘Enterprise Financing Scheme – Green’ (EFS-Green), follows on from ecoSPIRITS’ USD 10 million Series A funding round, which was closed in April 2024. The new loan facility will help ecoSPIRITS accelerate its manufacturing as it works more closely with global customers to integrate circular packaging technology into their supply chains around the world.
The new financing will help ecoSPIRITS scale up its capacity to manufacture circular distribution technologies for spirits.
The facility will help ecoSPIRITS scale up its capacity to manufacture and deploy low waste, circular distribution technologies for spirits, while also helping its existing partners scale up their circular packaging operations. This financing also follows recent announcements by ecoSPIRITS of separate global licensing agreements with Diageo, Rémy Cointreau and Pernod Ricard and continued growth of high volume channels for circular packaging, such as cruise lines.
ecoSPIRITS is working more closely with its global customers to integrate circular packaging technology into their supply chains.
ecoSPIRITS chose to partner with the Singapore-based DBS Bank because of its strong commitment towards sustainability, having established itself as a leader in enabling sustainable financing across the region. DBS works with both large corporates and with small and medium enterprises, such as ecoSPIRITS, to advance a low carbon economy. In 2023, the bank was named World’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility by Euromoney.
The new loan facility from Singapore-based DBS Bank was secured under Enterprise Singapore’s EFS-Green scheme, which allows better access to green financing.
Enterprise Singapore’s EFS-Green scheme allows better access to green financing for Singapore enterprises, which develop enabling technologies and solutions to reduce waste, resource use or greenhouse gas emissions. From April 2024, it has also expanded to support ‘green technology & solutions adopters’ to help more local enterprises adopt green solutions and reduce their carbon footprint. Under EFS-Green, EnterpriseSG will provide 70% risk-share to catalyse the lending from partner financial institutions. As a fast-growing Singapore technology company working on the circular economy transition, ecoSPIRITS’ work is aligned with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the city state’s push to foster green innovation at home and abroad.
“As a purpose-driven bank, we recognise the critical role financial institutions have to play in accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy. Our involvement in this green loan facility demonstrates our commitment to financing businesses that drive tangible environmental benefits. By providing the capital needed to scale their sustainable packaging solution, we are empowering ecoSPIRITS to drive industry-wide change, enhancing their manufacturing capacity and creating positive ripple effects across the supply chain. This is one way we are working with partners to drive positive change and build a more resilient and environmentally responsible industry.”
“This scheme was designed to support innovative growth companies like ecoSPIRITS, and it will be invaluable in helping us to maintain and improve our cash flow cycle as we continue to grow. We are grateful to both DBS Bank and Enterprise Singapore for valuing and supporting our mission to eliminate single use glass in the spirits and wine industry. Loans of this kind help the ecosystem of innovators who are looking to change the world and have a positive impact on the challenges of climate change.”
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow in 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For more information, visit https://ecospirits.global/.
Leading Australian Spirits Producer Husk Distillers Joins ecoSPIRITS and Proof & Company
MELBOURNE 16 July 2024 Proof & Company, ecoSPIRITS’ licensed operator for Australia, has launched distribution of seven craft spirits from Husk Distillers’ portfolio in ecoTOTE™ format across the country. Husk Distillers, which recently joined the Proof & Company stable of distribution brands, is known for its ‘farm to bottle’ philosophy and passion for sustainability, and is the producer of popular Australian-born brands, Ink Gin and Husk Rum. ecoTOTE processing for this new partnership is taking place at Proof’s new co-packing partner, The Melbourne Distilling Co, with ecoTOTEs of the new spirits now available for distribution to on-trade venues across the country. At a later stage, Proof & Company also plans to introduce Husk brands in ecoTOTE format to venues in New Zealand.
As ecoSPIRITS’ first Licensed Operator in the Asia Pacific region, Proof & Company has led the expansion of the ecoSPIRITS technology in Australia – as well as Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and New Zealand – since early 2019. Since it was founded in 2012, Proof & Company has evolved into one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits companies.
ecoTOTEs filled with Husk Distillers’ brands – such as Ink Gin and Husk Rum – are now being deployed to on-trade venues across Australia.
Husk started in 2012 when founder and CEO, Paul Messenger, planted the crops to create the country’s first cane juice rum. Husk’s first product was Ink Gin, an innovative new world gin made using botanicals found on the farm, as well as an unusual botanical from South East Asia, the butterfly pea flower. The launch of Ink Gin coincided with a boom in the gin category in Australia, and consequently Ink is now the best-selling independently-owned gin brand in the country. Ink Dry Gin will be the first of Husk’s gins to be available in ecoTOTE format, with Ink Sloe & Berry Gin and Ink Art Gin variants set to join later this year. These will join four of the producer’s rums to be offered in ecoTOTE format, each made in small batches from freshly crushed sugar cane juice: Husk Rare Blend Rum, Husk Pure Cane Rum, Husk Coconut Rum, and Husk Bam Bam Spiced Rum.
Paul Messenger, CEO, and Head Distiller, Quentin Brival, with spirits packaged in ecoTOTE format at Husk Farm Distillery.
The home of Husk Distillers is Husk Farm Distillery, in Northern New South Wales near to Australia’s Gold Coast. The company’s ethos is to make spirits that reflect the land as a ‘farm to bottle’ producer, which means it adopts sustainable ‘full circle’ distilling practices. The family-owned business is the caretaker of 150 acres of land, of which a large portion is dedicated to sugar cane and cattle farmland, while 23 acres is virgin rainforest. Husk looks at sustainability in every part of its business, such as capturing and reusing rainwater, using solar power and reducing waste wherever possible. Husk is Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery and the sugar cane used to make the rum is 100% grown, harvested and aged at the farm.
The family-owned Husk Distillers is home to 150 acres of land, near to Australia’s Gold Coast.
Ink Dry Gin
Ink Dry Gin is the original gin in Husk’s portfolio and its hero botanical is butterfly pea, which changes the spirit from inky blue to blush pink, when blended with tonic. The gin contains 12 other native, traditional and exotic botanicals, giving it flavours of citrus, including lemon myrtle and sweet orange, followed by warm pepper berry and soft pea flower.
Husk Rare Blend Rum
Husk combines the complexity of single estate fresh cane juice with the rich smoothness of Tweed Valley cane honey to create a truly modern Australian rum. Sub-tropically aged in small barrels at Husk Farm Distillery, this rare blend captures the character of the land, and has flavours of ripe fruit, honeysuckle, vanilla, oriental spices and toasted oak.
Proof & Company recently established a new partnership for ecoPLANT operations with The Melbourne Distilling Co, a beverage company located in Melbourne’s Western suburbs. The 100% Australian-owned Melbourne Distilling Co fills and packages a range of products for the beverage industry and it has a focus on sustainability and Australian-made ingredients. Under this new partnership it will acts as a co-packing partner and will package many of Proof’s ecoTOTE format spirits, including brands produced by Husk Distillers. This new partnership is part of a strategy to grow the overall ecoSPIRITS program in Australia.
“ecoSPIRITS fits beautifully with our business. We already bulk supply to bars to reduce glass waste, but the ecoSPIRITS system is a much better, neater and more sustainable system because the packaging is designed to be reusable. We continuously look at all areas of our business and try to minimise the output of waste. I think ecoSPIRITS will resonate with our customers as well, because it is so well aligned with our existing production processes and our brand values.”
“We now have a team of seven on the road in Australia and it’s our number one focus across all our brands, with ecoSPIRITS playing a big part in this. There is a huge amount of pressure on the industry to try to find cheaper, more efficient and more sustainable ways of doing business and by delivering Husk brands in ecoTOTE we are not only doing great things for the environment, but it is also a more cost-effective way to serve drinks. So it’s really hitting the mark nicely and we are quite excited about what the potential could be.”
“I am really excited to see these sustainable and much-loved brands go into ecoTOTE format so that people across Australia can enjoy low waste drinks made with Husk Distillers’ spirits. This producer is a great fit with Proof & Company’s ethos and its brands sit well within Proof’s portfolio, while also aligning well with the ecoSPIRITS closed loop system. We are confident this will be a successful partnership all round.”
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications, at [email protected].
About HUSK Distillers
Husk Distillers makes hand-crafted rum in small batches from the finest quality, freshly crushed cane juice sustainably grown, harvested, aged and bottled at Husk Farm Distillery. As Australia’s first agricultural rum distillery, we are developing this style of rum with a “farm to bottle” philosophy, using sugar cane grown 100% on our farm. Our volcanic soil, sub-tropical climate and local cane varieties combine each harvest to create something unique. The terroir of the Caldera Coast is reflected in every dram of Husk Rum.
For more information, please visit www.huskdistillers.com.
About Proof & Company
Proof & Company is one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits companies, merging a disruptive approach to independent spirits distribution with a team of highly regarded bartenders and educators, a customer-focused mindset, and the region’s leading hospitality clients. From offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Auckland and Christchurch, Proof & Company manages the exclusive distribution of a portfolio of independent spirits, craft cocktail ingredients, and premium bar tools and glassware.
For more information, please visit www.proofandcompany.com or follow @proofandcompany on Instagram.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow further by the end of 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.
Carnival Cruise Line and ecoSPIRITS Expand Circular Packaging Partnership Following Successful Pilot
MIAMI 20 June 2024 Following a successful pilot, ecoSPIRITS is working together with the world’s leading cruise ship operator, Carnival Cruise Line; and leading spirits producer, Bacardi Limited; to bring closed loop spirits packaging on board more ships. The pilot collaboration – which was first announced in August 2023 – saw BACARDÍ Superior rum delivered to three Carnival ships in ecoSPIRITS’ ecoTOTE format, in an effort to reduce single use glass waste in the tourism and hospitality segment. Now, closed loop spirits packaging will be introduced to an additional ship operating out of the Port of Miami, Florida. ecoSPIRITS is also collaborating with Carnival to develop new extensions to its core technology to support high volume cruise beverage operations.
The rum is transferred from ecoTOTE to serving format using ecoSPIRITS’ SmartPour technology.
The plan to introduce closed loop spirits packaging to cruise ships for the first time via a partnership between ecoSPIRITS, Carnival and Bacardi saw BACARDÍ Superior – one of the most-ordered spirits across Carnival’s fleet – delivered in ecoTOTE™ format to three of the company’s ships, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Sunrise, operating out of the Port of Miami, Florida. A fourth Miami-based ship, Carnival Magic, will implement the program, with more vessels from other cruise ports in the United States expected to join later in 2024.
The three companies have already saved tens of thousands of single use glass bottles from being produced.
During the pilot phase, which ran from late August 2023 through to the end of March 2024, the three companies saved tens of thousands of single use glass bottles from being produced. In total, the pilot eliminated more than 38,000 pounds of packaging waste, while also funding the recovery of more than 6,000 pounds of ocean waste from endangered marine environments as part of the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program. Delivering Carnival’s most popular onboard rum in ecoTOTE format eliminated 95% of the packaging waste when compared with traditional glass bottles. The system also represents a more efficient way of delivering spirits to the cruise ships, saving both weight and space onboard.
A fourth Miami-based ship, Carnival Magic, will introduce BACARDÍ Superior in closed loop spirits packaging.
To support expanded deployment of its circular packaging technology in the cruise environment, ecoSPIRITS has developed a new version of its SmartPour technology, tailored to the specific demands of onboard beverage operations. The new SmartPour™ SHV 1.0S is a bottle refilling unit developed in consultation with Carnival and Bacardi to make back-of-house operations even more efficient. This latest SmartPour can refill spirits bottles faster than the SmartPour 2.0S refilling solutions deployed during the pilot collaboration. The SmartPour SHV 1.0S joins the ecoTOTE 3.0SC, a special version of the award-winning ecoTOTE, which was also developed in consultation with Carnival to meet the unique requirements of the onboard beverage operations.
Like the ecoTOTE 3.0SC, the SmartPour SHV 1.0S was developed to meet the specific demands of onboard beverage operations.
“Our collaboration with Bacardi and ecoSPIRITS is making a clear, significant impact on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Sunrise. The ecoTOTE format has helped us serve the delicious cocktails our bar staff craft with BACARDÍ Superior that our guests love – without about 35,000 glass bottles that would have otherwise been used for transportation to our ships’ bars and then processed in our onboard recycling centers. As we continue to expand this innovative program, we are setting a new standard for beverage operations across the cruise industry and reinforcing our shared commitment to the environment.”
“The cruise line sector has been on our radar in terms of waste saving potential for several years. It is even more exciting to see ecoSPIRITS, Carnival Cruise Line and Bacardi clearly showing that circular is the way forward for spirits in this industry. We are delighted that Carnival is now expanding the use of ecoSPIRITS, taking BACARDÍ Superior in ecoTOTE format to a wider fleet within the Miami hub and adding other Florida ports later this year. Ultimately this shared success means ecoSPIRITS is now an option for a wider audience as we work towards eliminating single use glass waste in this sector globally.”
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & pls (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests and is proud to be known as America’s Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S, homeports that any other. For over 50 years, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports and employs more than 40,000 team members representing 120 nationalities. Carnival currently operates 25 ships and is in an exciting period of growth with the addition of two ships over the next two years.
For more information visitwww.carnival.com and for more about Carnival’s sustainability goals, visit: www.carnivalsustainability.com
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow further by the end of 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.
Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS Deepen Partnership for Circularity in Spirits, and Announce Cuba Launch
LONDON 29 May 2024 Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have announced a five-year global agreement to enable the distribution of Pernod Ricard’s spirits brands in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology to on-trade venues around the world. The collaboration builds on the success of a pilot project in Singapore in late 2022, which saw the launch of three Pernod Ricard brands in select bars across the city state. As part of this deepening partnership to promote circularity in the spirits industry, Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have also been investing in developing shared knowledge and capabilities in circular packaging operations and circular packaging impact accounting and reporting. Under the new global agreement, ecoSPIRITS has expanded its customer success team to support Pernod Ricard and in January the two companies deployed a full ecoSPIRITS closed loop packaging system at the Havana Club distillery in San José de las Lajas, Cuba, to begin reducing single use glass packaging in the Cuban market.
Pernod Ricard’s spirits brands will be distributed in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology to on-trade venues around the world.
As part of the original pilot project in Singapore, three of Pernod Ricard’s spirits brands – Beefeater London Dry gin, Havana Club rum and Absolut vodka – have been successfully deployed in ecoTOTE™ format to bars across Singapore, and dispensed in venues using co-branded SmartPour™ technology. These three spirit brands will now be introduced to new markets under the new global agreement, with additional Pernod Ricard brands to be added over time. Pernod Ricard’s partnership with ecoSPIRITS is aligned with the producer’s Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap, which includes a pillar of ‘Circular Making’, encouraging circularity by developing more sustainable packaging solutions.
Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS developed co-branded SmartPour technology for dispense in venues, which started in Singapore in late 2022.
Since late 2020, Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have been collaborating to evaluate, refine and pioneer circular packaging for the spirits industry. As part of this collaboration, the parties have invested in developing capabilities and expertise in the complex transition from linear to circular packaging systems. Most recently, a joint ecoSPIRITS and Pernod Ricard global technical team has worked to develop global operations standards for closed loop systems, with a goal of enhancing the safety, security and scalability of circular packaging. The two companies also recently appointed leading French circular economy consulting firm, Circul’R, to conduct an independent validation and upgrade of the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator. This work by Circul’R enables the tracking and reporting of the positive carbon emissions impact of the ecoSPIRITS technology, in line with rapidly evolving standards on carbon accounting and environmental claims.
“This next step in our partnership with ecoSPIRITS reflects our belief in the transformative power of this solution to enhance operational efficiency and reduce not only our environmental footprint, but the impact of our industry at large. We are excited to continue working together to refine, scale and champion ecoSPIRITS as the future of wine and spirits distribution.”
“Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS have been working together for almost three years now to make circularity a reality in the spirits industry. This new global agreement builds on that journey, and our combined expertise, to bring circular packaging to more Pernod Ricard markets around the world. We are inspired by Pernod Ricard’s commitment to Circular Making and look forward to working even more closely with their brands and market teams.”
The first local market deployment under the new global agreement is already underway with the introduction of a closed loop system for Havana Club rum in the brand’s home market of Cuba. The new system has been anchored by a dedicated ecoPLANT at Havana Club’s distillery in San José de las Lajas, Cuba. The ecoPLANT 2.0S is one of three ecoPLANTs in the Caribbean region, along with one in George Town, Cayman Islands and another in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Cuba’s first ecoPLANT is run by Havana Club distillery staff, who have been supported and trained by ecoSPIRITS’ Circular Operations team.
Havana Club’s distillery in San Jose de Las Lajas, Cuba, started filling ecoTOTEs earlier this year, to be dispensed from co-branded SmartPours.
Iberostar Group, a leading Spanish hotel operator with more than 120 hotels around the world, was the launch partner for the Cuba market. Two of the group’s luxury properties – Costa Varadero and Bella Vista Varadero – became the first hotels in Cuba to take spirits in closed loop packaging, taking delivery of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años rum in ecoTOTE format from January 2024 and pioneering the ecoSPIRITS technology in Cuba. The two properties are located in the vicinity of the country’s renowned Varadero beach, with each home to at least 10 restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Two luxury Iberostar hotels located around Cuba’s popular Varadero beach were the first to take delivery of Havana Club rum in ecoTOTE format.
In April 2024 Pernod Ricard’s venture capital fund, Convivialite Ventures, invested in ecoSPIRITS as part of a $10 million Series A funding round. More details of the two companies’ collaboration plans, including initial market launches, will be announced later in 2024. For media enquiries and general information please contact Emmanuel Vouin, Head of External Engagement on +33 (0) 1709 31624 or Jessica Whyte, International Media Relations Manager on +33 (0) 6769 37373 and Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand-building, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term development of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic convivialité. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to €12,137 million in fiscal year FY23. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow further by the end of 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.
Rémy Cointreau and ecoSPIRITS Announce Global Licensing Agreement and Expansion in the UK and the USA
LONDON 23 May 2024 Rémy Cointreau and ecoSPIRITS have announced a four-year global licensing agreement, bolstering their existing partnership in the United Kingdom and launching in the United States, with other global markets to follow. The collaboration will see the commercial scale-up of the existing pilot project in the UK, which started in early 2023 when two Rémy Cointreau brands were introduced in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology to select on-trade venues, predominantly in the London area. The new global agreement also provides a framework for Rémy Cointreau to make its iconic liqueur and spirit brands available in ecoSPIRITS’ technology in more markets around the world over the coming years.
Trailer Happiness, pictured here, is just one of the venues in London taking delivery of Mount Gay Eclipse rum in ecoTOTE format.
In January 2023, ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau jointly launched closed loop service in the United Kingdom, with two of the producer’s iconic brands – Cointreau liqueur and Mount Gay Eclipse rum – made available in ecoTOTE™ format for on-trade venues in London. The UK launch also marked another milestone in ecoSPIRITS’ journey to develop industry-leading circular technology when the co-branded SmartPour 2.0S Cointreau Edition became the first SmartPour™ to be specifically tailored for liqueurs.
Since early 2023 the Mexican bar-restaurant, El Pastor, has been reducing its glass waste by taking Cointreau in ecoTOTE format.
Many London venues, such as the four-strong Mexican restaurant chain, El Pastor, have seen a significant reduction in single use glass waste by taking Cointreau in ecoTOTE format. The success of the original collaboration between ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau has now led to the scaling up of the UK operations, to make Cointreau – a staple ingredient in the original Margarita – more widely available in closed loop packaging. In recent months Cointreau in ecoTOTE format was rolled out across The Alchemist’s key London sites with plans to cover all 23 of The Alchemist’s locations nationwide by December 2024. Meanwhile, many iconic venues across the UK, such as the award-winning cocktail bar and rum lounge, Trailer Happiness, have been taking delivery of Mount Gay rum in ecoTOTE format.
Cointreau in ecoTOTE format is being introduced to all 23 of The Alchemist’s UK sites throughout 2024.
In addition to the commercial scale up in the UK, ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau have also cemented plans to extend into the United States. The first phase of this launch will focus on Nevada, and more specifically Las Vegas, a city known for its casinos and high volume beverage operations. Cointreau will become the first global brand available in ecoTOTE format in the United States. Supported by ecoSPIRITS’ partner for National Accounts, DrinksCorp, the iconic liqueur will be deployed to venues in Nevada from ecoSPIRITS’ existing ecoPLANT in Las Vegas, before expanding further across the country.
The first phase of expansion into the United States will focus on Las Vegas in Nevada, featuring Cointreau as the launch brand.
The global licensing agreement with ecoSPIRITS is another step for Rémy Cointreau in its overall commitment to sustainable practices. In 2023 it announced its Sustainable Exception roadmap to reduce glass bottle usage and this expanded partnership marks a significant step in achieving its ambitious goals across its portfolio. The company has also pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per bottle by 2030 and plans to move towards Net Zero by 2050.
“We are thrilled to see the warm welcome our joint initiative received from our UK on-trade partners. This first pilot, successfully led by both our teams, is now ready to expand not only in other key British cities but also in one of the Group’s leading markets, the United States. This initiative is a great example of how our Group and its partners can collectively contribute to reduce single-use glass bottles. It is also a great step in our Sustainable Exception roadmap.”
“Thanks to this partnership, we have achieved a CO2 reduction of more than 80% and reduced packaging waste by 90% per bottle equivalent. Specifically for Cointreau in London – which represents 13 iconic bars – five tons of CO2 has been saved in the first 12 months of the pilot period.”
“We are pleased to be in partnership with Rémy Cointreau and to be part of this industry leader’s journey on its Sustainable Exception roadmap. Rémy Cointreau was our first global brand partner in the United Kingdom and we are delighted this relationship is now being taken to the next level with a deeper commitment to the circular economy and plans to expand significantly, not only within the UK, but other global markets.”
“This has been a successful partnership in the UK since we first started working together in 2023 and we are thrilled that Cointreau liqueur and Mount Gay rum are being made available in ecoTOTE format to new venues nationwide. We are also looking forward to working together to launch Cointreau liqueur in circular packaging technology in the United States, starting with Las Vegas.”
For media enquiries about Rémy Cointreau, please contact Melissa Levine, Group Corporate Communication Director at [email protected]. For media enquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About Rémy Cointreau
All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise – the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned French group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group’s portfolio includes 14 singular brands, such as the Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, and Cointreau liqueur. Rémy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,924 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group’s strategic markets. Rémy Cointreau is listed on Euronet Paris.
For more information, visit www.remy-cointreau.com.
About Cointreau
“I have passionately thrown myself into researching this liqueur. I wanted it to have the purity of crystal and a delicately subtle flavour thanks to the perfect harmony of sweet and bitter orange peels.” Edouard Cointreau. Iconic orange liqueur creator and cocktail pioneer, Maison Cointreau was founded in 1849 in Angers, France. The brand’s heritage as a liquorist-distiller lives on today at the heart of more than 500 cocktails, including the original Margarita and Cosmopolitan. Cointreau liqueur’s distinctive character is the result of the meticulous selection, harmony, and distillation of sweet and bitter orange peel essences, a task entrusted to Maison Cointreau’s Master Distiller. Unique and boasting exceptional organoleptic qualities, it’s a staple for bartenders and at-home cocktail enthusiasts around the world.
Visit www.cointreau.com and follow us on Instagram for more.
About Mount Gay
Mount Gay is the world’s oldest running rum distillery established in 1703. Founded and still located in the Parish of St Lucy, at the northernmost tip of Barbados, Mount Gay is crafted using pure, coral-filtered water and the finest Barbadian and Caribbean molasses. Distilled in traditional double copper pot and copper column stills, Mount Gay rums are aged in a diverse selection of casks including American whiskey, Bourbon and Cognac. Harnessing over 300 years of heritage and expertise, Mount Gay rums are a fine balance between science, art and innovation. Blended by Master Blender Trudiann Branker and aged under the influence of Barbados’ tropical climate, our rums highlight a unique, rich and flavourful character. Mount Gay’s core range includes Mount Gay Silver, Mount Gay Eclipse, Mount Gay Black Barrel and Mount Gay XO alongside the annual limited editions 1703 Master Select and the Master Blender Collection. In addition to crafting the world’s oldest rum, Mount Gay is committed at all times to the use of sustainable and transport practices in order to realise our vision of environmental stewardship and carbon neutrality.
For more information on our rum and to explore more about what we do for our community and planet, visit www.mountgayrum.com.
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow further by the end of 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
Visit www.ecospirits.global and follow us on Instagram for more.
ecoSPIRITS Bermuda and BermudAir Partner to Bring Closed Loop Spirits to the Skies
Bermuda, 16 April 2024 ecoSPIRITS Bermuda – along with Bermuda Gin Co. and Goslings Rum – have partnered with premium airline BermudAir to bring closed loop spirits into airline service for the first time worldwide. Under the new collaboration, BermudaAir will be supplied with both Bermuda Gin Co. gins and Goslings rums in ecoTOTE format for onboard service on all the airline’s flights operating out of Bermuda. The low waste spirits will feature in special cocktails such as the BGC Gin & Tonic and Goslings Dark & Stormy for Business Class travellers.
Low waste spirits such as Bermuda Gin Co’s Pink House Gin will be available onboard all the airline’s flights.
In July 2021, ecoSPIRITS signed a Licensed Operator Agreement with Bermuda Gin Co., a move which led to the introduction of circular spirits technology to a small island nation for the first time. Roy Fellowes and his family now operate both Bermuda Gin Co. and ecoSPIRITS Bermuda. Many hotels and bars across the island now take regular deliveries of spirits such as Bermuda Gin Co’s Pink House and White Roof Gins, and Gosling’s rums in ecoTOTE format.
Bermuda Gin Co.’s White Roof Gin and Goslings rums will feature in ecoTOTE format for this partnership.
BermudAir first launched in 2023 as the first locally established airline in Bermuda. The company currently operates two planes offering year-round connections between Bermuda and US destinations including Boston and Fort Lauderdale, as well as Toronto in Canada. Over a 12-month period the airline will operate a total of 2,700 flights, which is equivalent to 178,000 seats that were not previously available to and from Bermuda. The airline has a big focus on working with local producers, and serving Bermuda Gin Co.’s gins and Goslings’ rum on its flights forms part of this commitment. The spirits will be served onboard in branded refill bottles that can be used many times. These bottles are collected, cleaned and refilled from ecoTOTEs landside at BermudAir’s operations hub at the L.F Wade International Airport in Bermuda.
The move to bring closed loop spirits to the airline industry marks another first for ecoSPIRITS and it follows last year’s move into the cruise ship sector, in partnership with cruise ship operator Carnival Cruise Line and leading spirits producer Bacardi Limited. Introducing the ecoSPIRITS closed loop packaging system to these new and challenging environments in the all-important tourism and hospitality sector helps make the case for the universal appeal of circular economy solutions.
Each order of the blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE 3.0S funds the removal of one kilogram of single use waste.
ecoSPIRITS Bermuda participates in the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program with each order of a blue Ocean Conservation Edition ecoTOTE 3.0S placed by Climate Partners such as BermudAir, funding the removal of one kilogram of single use plastic and glass waste from endangered marine environments. This year, ecoSPIRITS Bermuda has been working with the charity Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) to jointly raise awareness and promote sustainability in the local hospitality industry. As part of this, ecoSPIRITS Bermuda is developing a Sustainable Cocktail Map, featuring a cocktail for each of the island’s major ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner venues, with some of the proceeds supporting KBB’s beach clean-up operations.
“We are honoured to be the first airline partner worldwide for this innovative sustainability-focused company and its initiatives. We’ve been conducting responsible, practical in-cabin operations with sustainability as a priority since launch. Using single-use plastic is minimised on board and we serve our guests with reusable glassware. So this partnership with ecoSPIRITS, and our colleagues at Bermuda Gin Co. and Goslings, is a natural step in our continued commitment to operate with sustainable principles across the organisation as much as possible and wherever the opportunity arises.”
“From the start the BermudAir team have been terrific to work with and we are delighted to have our Pink House and White Roof gins available on the inflight beverage menus. Sustainability is a high priority for BermudAir they immediately embraced the opportunity to receive our gins in a format that reduces waste, reduces carbon emissions and supports environmental clean-up. It seems fitting that as Bermuda was the first small island nation to engage with ecoSPIRITS, BermudAir is the first airline in the world to do so. Two small important firsts for ecoSPIRITS and the island of Bermuda.”
“BermudAir is the first airline worldwide to take up the challenge of eliminating single use glass in onboard beverage service. The launch of this creative new partnership shows what is possible in an entirely new use environment for circular packaging. We are grateful to BermudAir for their sustainability leadership and to our great Bermuda-basedbrand partners – Bermuda Gin Co. and Goslings – for their ongoing support and collaboration.”
For media inquiries about BermudAir, please contact Pat Phillip-Fairn, Head of PR and Corporate Affairs, BermudAir, on [email protected] or for general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected]
About Bermuda Gin Co.
Bermuda Gin Co. is a local, family-owned business established in 2019. The first product Pink House Gin was launched in November 2019 with White Roof Gin hitting the local market in June 2020. Both gins are hand crafted in small batches and the recipes and flavour profiles were developed to capture the essence of Bermuda. This was achieved by including hibiscus in the Pink House and prickly pear in White Roof. They are available in many bars, restaurants and hotels throughout Bermuda. The amazing bar staff working in Bermuda’s hospitality venues have created some wonderful cocktails using Pink House and White Roof Gins that are definitely worth trying. The gins are also available for retail purchase from many supermarkets and liqueur stores on the island. For Pink House and White Roof, today Bermuda, tomorrow the world. For more information, please visit www.bermudaginco.com
About BermudAir
BermudAir is Bermuda’s boutique airline, committed to redefining the travel experience. With a fleet of Embraer E175 aircraft renowned for exceptional performance and passenger comfort, BermudAir exemplifies its commitment to excellence. Operating convenient flights to and from Westchester Country Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, BermudAir enhances connectivity to the U.S. East Coast, contributing to the growth and prosperity of Bermuda. BermudAir also operates flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport and Halifax Stanfiled International Airport in Canada. With a dedication to exceptional service and curated onboard offerings that showcasethe island’s renowned hospitality and varied food and beverage available locally, BermudAir provides an unparalleled travel experience. For more information, and to book flights, please visit www.flybermudair.com
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 27 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Nearly 3,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best barsand iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow by late 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
ecoSPIRITS Welcomes SVP and Bolsters Customer Resources for the Circular Economy Transition
LONDON 05 March 2024 ecoSPIRITS has welcomed a new global head of sales and customer success, while also making a number of other appointments to bolster its customer support resourcing. James Doyle has joined the company in the role of Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Success, with responsibility for all sales and customer implementation matters. Marco Lam has also been appointed to the role of Vice President, Value Engineering, overseeing a new internal consulting team supporting customers with a range of commercial planning, financial analysis and circular economy expertise. The new resources come as ecoSPIRITS works more closely with a growing base of global customers on the complex circular economy transition in premium spirits and wine.
ecoSPIRITS’ new customer success team, which is responsible for sales, account management and project management, is based in London, with regional teams in Asia Pacific and North America. Led by James Doyle, the new team is supporting ecoSPIRITS’ brand, distributor and outlet partners around the world as they integrate ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technologies – ecoPLANT™, ecoTOTE™, SmartPour™, SmartKioskTM and CircularONE™ – into their local, regional and global supply chains.
James Doyle joins ecoSPIRITS as Senior Vice President, Sales & Customer Success. He brings more than 20 years’ worth of experience in working with technology businesses on a global basis and played a leading role in building the EMEA Enterprise business at Tata Communications followed by Senior Sales Leadership roles in start up software companies, such as SightCall and CareAR. He has extensive experience in sales leadership roles, building growth platforms across sales and customer success, built on trusted relationships with customers, partners and employees. At ecoSPIRITS, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s worldwide portfolio of customer relationships. Working closely with ecoSPIRITS CEO, Paul Gabie and the executive leadership team, Doyle’s mandate is to build and manage high performing sales, account and project management teams.
“ecoSPIRITS has grown at pace since the business was founded in 2018 and we are now in the process of scaling globally. New and existing team members are all geared up to support our partners as they look to expand into new territories, deploy brands in ecoTOTE for the first time, or set up new collaborations with us. I am delighted to be joining at this important stage of growth for the business and can’t wait to celebrate more circular economy successes with our customers in 2024 and beyond.”
As part of its investment in expanded customer success resources, ecoSPIRITS has also launched an internal consulting team dedicated to Value Engineering, with a focus on refining circular packaging economics, enhancing their cost-effectiveness and maximising commercial value to customers and partners. The new team works particularly closely with ecoSPIRITS’ largest customers, where the integration of circular economy activities into their global supply chains requires innovation in commercial and financial analysis and practices. This team is led by Marco Lam in his new role as Vice President, Value Engineering. Lam originally joined ecoSPIRITS in 2022 as Commercial Planning Director.
“I am looking forward to working closely with James to help support his team’s work with some of our largest customers. Value engineering is a great asset for our customers because it is a process that can help solve problems, reduce costs and ensure a project is completed within a budget, while also maintaining – or even improving – financial performance along the way.”
ecoSPIRITS x Diageo: Dedicated To Success
In November 2023, Diageo and ecoSPIRITS announced a global agreement for the distribution of a range of Diageo spirits brands in ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology in an expected 18 markets over the next three years. To support these technology deployments, ecoSPIRITS is fielding two new customer success resources dedicated to supporting the scaleup of circular packaging in Diageo’s global supply chain. Jack Davis, who joins ecoSPIRITS as Global Customer Success Manager, comes across from Diageo, where his most recent role was a Senior Commercialisation Manager for Continental Europe & MENA. Isaac Powell has also joined ecoSPIRITS to support Diageo as a Global Technical Lead, coming from East London craft distillery, Jim and Tonic Ltd, where he led the distilling team.
The new customer resource appointments come at a time when ecoSPIRITS and its customers are navigating the complex linear to circular transition required to bring closed loop packaging to global scale. This is a transition that offers the prospect of dramatic sustainability impact, yet poses a host of challenges, particularly within the context of global supply chains. By bringing together a deep bench of customer success, project management, consulting, engineering and supply chain expertise, ecoSPIRITS is positioned to help its customers rapidly plan, deploy and scale their circular economy initiatives.
“I am delighted to welcome James to ecoSPIRITS and to congratulate Marco on his new appointment. The linear to circular transition is both incredibly rewarding, delivering dramatic sustainability outcomes, and also exceedingly complex at the same time. This is why we are bringing together such a broad range of expertise and resources. I am confident these new appointments will help ensure our customers can navigate the circular economy transition successfully and at global scale.”
For media inquiries or general information on ecoSPIRITS, you may contact Sonya Hook, Head of Communications at [email protected].
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 23 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. More than 2,000 leading bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 27 countries worldwide by early 2024. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers, venues, and retailers, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating hundreds of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.