LONDON 30 November 2023 Diageo and ecoSPIRITS have 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. Diageo’s commitment to broad deployment of a circular packaging format is the first of its kind in the spirits industry and forms part of its 10-year ESG action plan Society 2030: Spirit of Progress. As part of the new collaboration, Diageo spirit brands will be made available at participating bars, restaurants and hotels in ecoSPIRITS’ award-winning ecoTOTE™ format, starting with Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan rum, and Gordon’s gin. ecoSPIRITS is also investing in expanding its customer success resources to support the new collaboration, fielding an implementation team in London dedicated to supporting technology deployments in individual Diageo markets around the world.
Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin and Captain Morgan rum will be the first brands to feature in the new collaboration.
As part of the new agreement, Diageo will have access to ecoSPIRITS’ circular packaging technology platform, including the ecoTOTE, SmartPour™ and CircularONE™ technologies. Diageo brands and local market affiliates will also have access to ecoSPIRITS’ global network of ecoPLANT™ processing sites, which are operated by its licensed operators in more than 25 countries around the world. The global agreement provides a flexible framework that allows individual Diageo markets to pilot and scale circular packaging as part of their local business development and sustainability plans.
Diageo first started working with ecoSPIRITS in 2021 through the Diageo Sustainable Solutions programme, which aims to find technology innovators that can bridge the innovation gap across Diageo’s supply chain to help the company reach its ESG targets. The partnership also aligns with Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress plan and it is a step towards its goal of reducing carbon emissions across the supply chain by 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
Ewan Andrew, President, Global Supply Chain & Procurement and Chief Sustainability Officer, Diageo
“This is another example of a triple win where the planet, consumers and Diageo will all benefit. We will be able to reduce both carbon and cost and the pubs and bars will benefit from the ease of having reusable spirits packaging.”
The new global partnership builds on the successful ongoing pilot programme of the ecoSPIRITS technology by Diageo Indonesia that started in 2022. As part of this initiative, Smirnoff vodka is supplied in ecoTOTE format to 38 leading bars, restaurants and hotels in Bali and Jakarta. Diageo Indonesia also commissioned an ecoPLANT 2.0S to process and refill ecoTOTEs at its existing production facility in Bali. The local closed loop system has been operational for almost a year, generating positive feedback from outlet partners and consumers alike and confirming the commercial viability of circular packaging in the Indonesian market.
Atlas Beach Club, Jungle Fish and Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay are among the venues receiving Smirnoff vodka in ecoTOTE format in Indonesia.
Updating global supply chains to accommodate circular packaging formats is a complex endeavour, requiring a close working partnership between ecoSPIRITS and global customers like Diageo. To support the new partnership, and in response to continued growth in demand for circular packaging worldwide, ecoSPIRITS is expanding its London office with the appointment of additional customer success resources. ecoSPIRITS’ newly-appointed Senior Vice President, Customer Success, James Doyle, will lead global and regional teams supporting Diageo and its local market affiliates as they integrate ecoSPIRITS’ platform of ecoPLANT, ecoTOTE, SmartPour and CircularONE technologies into their local operations. The expanded London-based team will include global project and technical leads dedicated to supporting Diageo deployments under the new global agreement.
James Doyle, Senior Vice President, Customer Success, ecoSPIRITS
“We are delighted that our pilot collaboration with Diageo Indonesia has led to this new global agreement. Integrating a circular solution like ecoSPIRITS into existing supply chains is an exciting but complex challenge. Our team looks forward to working closely with Diageo’s teams around the world to make these new launches a resounding success. We are confident that Diageo’s iconic spirits brands will be welcomed in ecoTOTE format by venues and consumers across the world.”
Under the new partnership, Diageo’s spirit brands will be made available in ecoTOTE format at participating markets, with Gordon’s gin initially set to join Smirnoff vodka and Captain Morgan rum. In 2024, new Gordon’s gin co-branded editions of the ecoTOTE 3.0S and SmartPour 2.0S will join the existing Smirnoff vodka and Captain Morgan rum editions. Taken together, the selection of premium vodka, gin and rum offerings in circular packaging allows partnering bars, restaurants and hotels to reduce single use packaging waste and carbon footprint associated with some of their highest-volume pouring spirits.
New Gordon’s gin co-branded editions of the ecoTOTE 3.0S and SmartPour 2.0S will be introduced in 2024.
Paul Gabie, CEO, ecoSPIRITS
“ecoSPIRITS’ mission is to end single use glass in the spirits and wine industry. For the circular economy to achieve global scale, innovators like ecoSPIRITS need the support of industry leaders like Diageo in catalysing the linear to circular packaging transition. As such, this new global agreement is a significant milestone for ecoSPIRITS and our journey to a circular future. We are grateful to our partners at Diageo for the seriousness of their commitment to a more sustainable and inclusive world.”
More details of the companies’ collaboration plans, including initial market launches, will be announced in early 2024. For media enquiries and general information please contact [email protected] or Jessica Hurford, Sustainability Communications Manager, Diageo, on [email protected] and Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, ecoSPIRITS, on [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 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 both a powerful cost advantage and 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.
For more information, visit: https://ecospirits.global.