HONG KONG 9 March 2022 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has partnered with Pernod Ricard, the world’s second largest spirits and wine company, to pilot circular spirits, starting in Hong Kong and Singapore. The new collaboration will see Pernod Ricard’s iconic brands Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Havana Club Rum become available in ecoSPIRITS’ innovative closed loop packaging technology. The partnership is the first of its kind for a global brand portfolio, marking a major milestone in the industry’s transition to circular spirits. To celebrate the milestone, the Pernod Ricard brands will debut in the first co-branded editions of the award-winning ecoTOTE™.
The iconic Absolut Vodka in co-branded ecoTOTE™ format. A milestone for the low carbon revolution.
Absolut has a broad commitment to sustainability, operating one of the world’s most energy efficient distilleries in Sweden.
The new partnership is a natural fit for both parties. Pernod Ricard is an industry leader in sustainability, having made broad commitments under a Sustainability & Responsibility Roadmap that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The roadmap include a pillar of ‘Circular Making,’ which envisions reducing carbon footprint and minimising waste by developing more sustainable packaging solutions. Pernod Ricard has set a goal of reducing carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, and to pursue a Net Zero trajectory by 2050.
The Pernod Ricard Sustainability & Responsibility Roadmap includes Circular Making as one of four pillars.
Under the pilot program, Pernod Ricard will make Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Havana Club Rum available in low waste, co-branded ecoTOTE™ format to up to 80 leading bars, restaurants and hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong. Both cities are known for their vibrant and innovative bar scenes, and have embraced the ecoSPIRITS technology over recent years. Using the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, the initiative is forecast to reduce the carbon emissions of packaging and distribution for the participating Pernod Ricard brands by an average of 66% when compared with the traditional format of single use glass.
The world’s most awarded gin, now in low waste format.
Two centuries of history and a commitment to innovation for today’s world.
28 HongKong Street, Singapore. One of Asia's best bars - and one of the first in the world to adopt ecoSPIRITS in 2018 - will offer Beefeater Gin in ecoTOTE™ format.
The new initiative will form part of Pernod Ricard’s Bar World of Tomorrow program which promotes more sustainable and responsible bar practices. Locally in Hong Kong, Bar World of Tomorrow is partnering with Food Made Good Hong Kong— part of the UK-based Sustainable Restaurant Association, which is dedicated to helping food service businesses operate sustainably. The program aims to upskill bartenders on topics such as responsible service, waste management, sourcing and managing fresh ingredients and ice supply management, with an emphasis on work-life balance, customer care, and ways to maximize yield from bar ingredients—thus reducing overall operational costs. Since January 2021, close to 100 bartenders in Hong Kong have completed the training program.
Rum is an essential part of Cuban culture, shaped by the country’s climate, geography, history and people.
The co-branded ecoTOTE™ offers the opportunity for enhanced brand messaging.
ARGO Bar, Hong Kong. A bar celebrating the drinking traditions of tomorrow will be one of the first in the world to offer Havana Club Rum in ecoTOTE™ format.
The pilot collaboration between ecoSPIRITS and Pernod Ricard will launch in both cities in the coming months. Over time, Pernod Ricard hopes to include more bars and restaurants in both cities, before expanding the program to other key markets and brands across Asia and beyond.
Hermance De La Bastide, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability & Responsibility, Pernod Ricard Asia
“Our partnership with ecoSPIRITS, as part of our Bar World of Tomorrow initiative, reflects our ambition to create more sustainable and responsible moments of conviviality. The global bar scene has suffered greatly during the pandemic, and this is all the more true now especially in Hong Kong. We believe in the fortitude and resilience of the industry, and we aim to help alleviate any burden that we can, including helping to introduce sustainable practices to their business in an effective way. True to our vision, we strongly believe in working with others across the industry to strengthen what we do collectively. ecoSPIRITS is a wonderful partner to help our industry minimize waste and its carbon footprint, while also protecting our natural resources.”
Paul Gabie, CEO, ecoSPIRITS
“The transition to circular is one of the most important movements in the spirits industry today. ‘Circular Making’ offers the prospects of dramatically reducing our industry’s waste and environmental footprint. There is simply no more effective way to do our collective part in supporting the United Nations SDGs and the global drive to Net Zero. Welcoming Pernod Ricard to the low carbon revolution is a major milestone, both for ecoSPIRITS and the industry. When industry leaders begin to back circular, our collective future gets brighter. We could not be more delighted to have Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Havana Club Rum join our ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program, a rapidly growing coalition of hundreds of brands, importers, distributors, wholesalers, bars, restaurants and hotels worldwide.”
Bars, restaurants and hotels in Singapore or Hong Kong interested in participating in the collaboration between Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS can get in touch via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Additional information on the timeline for the launch of closed loop service for the Pernod Ricard brands, and the participating venue partners, will be released soon.
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to €8,824 million in fiscal year FY21. The Group, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard’s portfolio 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-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, New Zealand Wines, Campo Viejo, Mumm Sparkling and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term and sustainable growth for all its stakeholders, remaining true to its founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and strong sense of ethics. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 18,500 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité”. Pernod Ricard 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap “Good Times from a Good Place” is integrated into all its activities from grain to glass, and Pernod Ricard is recognised as a UN Global Compact LEAD participant for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.
About ecoSPIRITS
Founded in 2018, ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for the premium spirits industry. Leveraging business as a force for good, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. The ecoSPIRITS patent-pending, closed-loop technology is licensed in 18 countries worldwide, including many of the world’s largest consumer markets, and is used by almost 1,000 leading hospitality venues. The ecoSPIRITS Climate Partner Program is a global coalition of hundreds of brands, distributors, wholesalers and hospitality operators committed to reducing the environmental impact of their operations. ecoSPIRITS serves its customer base from offices in Singapore, Shanghai, London and Miami.
