SINGAPORE 28 October 2021 ecoSPIRITS announced today that it has completed a year-long study to quantify the climate impact of its closed loop spirits technology. The new ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator is based on a study performed by Deloitte, a leading global consultancy firm providing sustainability services. The new Calculator allows ecoSPIRITS and its brand partners to compare the carbon emissions footprint of a spirit distributed in ecoTOTE™ format against the same spirit distributed in single use glass for any two paired points of spirit production and consumption on the planet.
Glass itself is not the problem. As a packaging material, glass is durable, endlessly reusable and is inert, outperforming plastic, aluminium and steel in protecting spirit flavours. However, glass is expensive and energy-intensive to produce, yielding an embodied carbon emissions footprint of 550g per bottle on average. Glass is also dense, comprising approximately 50% of the weight of standard bottled spirit and increasing global logistics costs and emissions. As packaging waste, glass’ durability becomes liability, taking more than 10,000 years to break down in the natural environment.
Single use glass bottles in production
Single use glass bottles sorted for recycling
In the current linear economy, the problem lies in the ‘single use’ nature of glass packaging. In 2020 alone, ecoSPIRITS estimates that the world produced 40 billion single use glass spirit bottles, leading to 22 million tons of carbon emissions. Recycling single use glass packaging helps, but it is not a long-term solution to dramatically reducing emissions. Recycling a glass bottle saves only 10-15% of the energy required to produce a new bottle. A recycled glass bottle has a carbon footprint that is just 25 – 40% lower than a new one. To solve the single use waste crises over the long term, the world must transition our economies, and the spirits industry, from single use to reuse.
The problem lies in the ‘single use’ nature of carbon-intensive glass packaging
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres statement on the IPCC 2021 Climate Report 9 August 2021
ecoSPIRITS’ patent-pending system of closed loop technologies eliminates single use glass from the spirits supply chain, offering a proven reduction in the delivered cost of premium spirits, and a transformative reduction in single use waste and carbon footprint. By introducing a fully reusable, engineered glass packaging format, the ecoTOTE™, ecoSPIRITS is able to retain the best features of glass packaging, while eliminating the financial and environmental costs associated with single use of an energy-intensive, costly material.
The ecoSPIRITS closed loop system
The new ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator is based on a Comparative Lifecycle Emissions Study performed by Deloitte Singapore in accordance with guidance from the GHG Protocol Initiative and using standard CO2e conversion factors. The study estimates carbon emissions from the principal packaging production and material freight steps implicated in the movement of spirit volumes from their point of distillation to the point of final consumption. Findings from the study were then used to create the global carbon emissions calculator tool, which compares ecoTOTE™ closed loop distribution versus the single use glass comparator. The calculator estimates the total carbon footprint reduction, in both grams of C02e and percentage terms, for any spirit based on any two paired points of origin and consumption in the world.
On average, the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator confirms that ecoSPIRITS’ technology eliminates 60% – 90% of the carbon emissions associated with the packaging and distribution of premium spirits when compared with single use glass comparators. The percentage carbon footprint reduction is a function of supply chain length, and the modes of transport used in transporting the spirit from distillery to end venue. For each spirit brand partner, and location of distribution, ecoSPIRITS will publish a specific carbon footprint reduction figure in both grams of C02e and in %. for the ecoTOTE™ format.
Eve Mignot, Sustainability Manager, ecoSPIRITS
“The launch of the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator gives us a powerful new tool to quantify, report on, and mitigate the sources of carbon emissions in the spirits supply chain,” notes Eve Mignot, ecoSPIRITS Sustainability Manager, “This new tool will help us work even more closely with our brand and distribution partners in measuring the environmental impact of their transition to closed loop packaging. We will also use the calculator to help our partners optimize the way spirits are transported, prioritising lower carbon modes of transport over time.”
The new ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator will be used by ecoSPIRITS to quantify the carbon footprint reduction impact of its proprietary technology for all current spirit brand partners, as well as all brands that join its global closed loop network going forward. For each spirit brand partner, and location of distribution, ecoSPIRITS will publish a specific carbon footprint reduction figure in both grams of C02e and in %. for the ecoTOTE™ format.
Tim Etherington-Judge, Co-founder, Avallen
Avallen is one of the world’s first “planet positive spirits”, being Climate Positive, featuring a label made of apple pulp, and having a bee-saving program through 1% for the Planet.
“As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. At Avallen, we want to see a world where climate change stabilises and reverses catastrophic biodiversity loss. The end of single use glass through the revolutionary ecoSPIRITS platform will play a big part in Avallen being a world-leading climate positive brand.”
Spirits Brands & Carbon Emissions: Getting Started
Ben Leggett, Director & Distiller, Elemental Distillers
Roots Dry Gin, created in award-winning distillery built of up-cycled containers, offers a complete transparency of ingredients, processes and production, from root – to cup.
“Elemental Distillers is the embodiment of a belief that we can both deliver creative, premium and award-winning spirits while also operating sustainably through an ongoing collection of sustainable micro-changes and in full transparency of our processes and ingredients.”
John Stirling, Director, Arbikie Distillery
With a pea-base spirit grown without fertilizers and distilled with local botanicals, each bottle of Nàdar removes more CO2 emissions than it creates.
“At Arbikie we’re continuously looking for ways to innovate and reinforce our sustainability focus. For each decision we make, we consider the environmental impact and how we can do things better. We are really encouraged by the CO2e mass reductions of this system and the partnership with ecoSPIRITS is one that excites us all.”
Spirits brands, importers, distributors, wholesalers, and venues interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS global network of closed loop service can get in touch via email at [email protected]. For more information on the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, please contact [email protected]
About Deloitte
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit and assurance, tax and legal, consulting, financial advisory, and risk advisory services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. Our more than 345,000 professionals deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society and a sustainable world. Building on its 175-plus year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories. Our organisation has grown tremendously in both scale and capabilities, yet our shared culture and mission—to make an impact that matters—remains unchanged. This is evident not only in Deloitte’s work for clients, but also in our WorldClass ambition, our WorldClimate initiative and our ALL IN diversity and inclusion strategy.
For more information, please visit:
www.deloitte.com/sg
About Avallen Calvados
Avallen is the delicious moment when flavour and sustainability converge! Every bottle of Avallen made removes 2.73kg of CO2e from the atmosphere without external offsetting, protects biodiversity through traditional production methods and supports bee-protecting organisations. Avallen represents a young, fresh and more apple-filled future for spirits, with the health of our planet at its core.
For more information, please visit:
www.avallenspirits.com
About Roots Gin
Roots Gin is a crisp and robust ‘London Dry’ style gin produced on the estate at the Elemental Distillery in the heart of the Marlborough wine region. Roots Gin is made in small batches from individually sourced ingredients and all fully traceable, from root to cup.
For more information, please visit:
www.elementaldistillers.com/roots-dry-gin/
About Nàdar Spirits
Nàdar Gin harnesses the power of nature and science to create this world-first spirit. With a carbon footprint of -1.54 kg CO2e per 700ml bottle, Nàdar Gin is at the forefront of fighting climate change and biodiversity loss, the biggest challenges humankind has ever faced.
For more information, please visit:
www.arbikie.com/nadar-gin