Rosewood Hong Kong Partners With ecoSPIRITS, Reducing Single Use Waste Through Climate Friendly Cocktails
HONG KONG 15 September 2021 Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is deepening its commitment to sustainability through a partnership with ecoSPIRITS that will reduce single use glass, starting with their flagship property in Hong Kong. This collaboration will see the ecoSPIRITS low carbon, low waste technology used in the property’s eight bars and restaurants and celebrated in a special menu of ecoCOCKTAILS that will be available throughout the landmark hotel.
Soaring over Victoria Harbour, Rosewood Hong Kong is a highlight of the Kowloon waterfront and the crown jewel of the Victoria Dockside arts and design district. The hotel embraces a sustainability ethos through Rosewood’s Verdes® Responsibilities, which commits to elevated hospitality without compromising the natural environment. The ecoSPIRITS technology, with its elimination of single use glass and dramatic reduction in carbon footprint of spirits, is a natural fit.
Rosewood Hong Kong’s beverage programs, including its acclaimed Darkside Bar, are led by Director of Bars, Arkadiusz Rybak, an award-winning bartender and manager who brings to the team extensive experience working in Conde Nast’s ‘Hot List’ hotels and in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Hong Kong. His talented team at Rosewood Hong Kong include Francois Cavelier, Bar Manager and Simon Rossi, Beverage Manager at the Darkside Bar.
To bring the hotel’s beverage sustainability principles to life, and to celebrate the partnership with ecoSPIRITS, Arkadiusz and his team developed a range of special low waste cocktails, including the signature Eco Negroni. A special ecoCOCKTAILS Menu, printed on sustainable compostable paper which is embedded with tree seeds, is now available throughout the hotel. Guests can take the menu home and plant it in soil — as the paper composts away, all that is left behind is new life and zero waste.
The making of a climate friendly cocktail with Widges Gin and Tried & True Vodka
A fresh take on the White Negroni, which is traditionally made with gin, dry vermouth, and gentian liqueur, this sustainable serve is made with a base of Widges London Dry Gin that is delivered in ecoTOTE™ format, Mancino Bianco Vermouth, and two house-made infusions to take the place of gentian liqueur, each made with upcycled ingredients that might otherwise have been thrown away. A sophisticated and herbaceous tipple is garnished with a green lime gel made with oxidized lime juice that is stabilized with natural and alternative preservatives to give second life to juice that would otherwise go down the drain.
Arkadiusz Rybak, Director of Bars, Rosewood Hong Kong
“By using the ecoSPIRITS at Rosewood Hong Kong we are able to reduce our glass bottle waste tremendously. Not only do we minimize waste, but we also reduce the amount of storage required for spirits. In addition, we give back through ecoSPIRITS Forest Program initiative. Overall, ecoSPIRITS allows us to seamlessly operate at a high-volume beverage program and care for our environment.”
In addition to significantly reducing their glass and packaging waste with ecoSPIRITS, the Eco Negroni is prepared without ice. To conserve this resource-intensive ingredient, the cocktail is batched and bottled in the back-of-house and kept chilled for service. Overall, the Eco Negroni eliminates 30g of C02 emissions per serve by reducing single use glass waste.
The Eco Negroni. No single use glass
Darkside Bar at Rosewood Hong Kong. One of Asia's 50 Best Bars
Clear Bitter, a Sustainable Gentiane Substitute
Low waste, housemade infusions to take the place of gentian liqueur, a traditional aperitif that originates from the French Alps. To recreate the wintery backbone of gentian liqueur, the Rosewood Hong Kong beverage team creates an infusion called Clear Bitter, made with leftover lemon peels, dandelion, and gentian root mixed with Tried & True Vodka delivered in ecoTOTE™ format. To balance and brighten the Clear Bitter infusion, the team makes a citrus infusion from leftover lemon peels, coriander seeds, and buddha hand leaves that is also infused in Tried & True Vodka. Together, the Clear Bitter and Lemon Buddha’s Hand Liqueur take the place of gentian liqueur and create substantial carbon savings!
Beyond the Eco Negroni, Arkadiusz and his team are using the ecoSPIRITS technology across the property’s bars and restaurants to further reduce waste and beverage costs. The partnership between ecoSPIRITS and Rosewood Hong Kong is eliminating thousands of single use glass bottles per year, reducing Hong Kong’s landfill waste and saving 550g of carbon emissions per bottle eliminated.
To further supplement this impact, ecoSPIRITS, its spirits partners and Rosewood Hong Kong are planting one tree for every ecoTOTE™ ordered by the hotel in the endangered Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo, Indonesia. This reforestation commitment increases the sustainability impact per serve, including for the Eco Negroni, to 150g per cocktail. Rosewood Hong Kong’s Borneo reforestation and C02 impact is made available to hotel guests through the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program’s unique ‘proof of planting’ digital interface.
Through this partnership, and the exquisite cocktails, Rosewood Hong Kong and ecoSPIRITS hope to inspire others to incorporate sustainable principles into their beverage and hospitality. Elevated beverage experiences without compromising the natural environment are now possible.
About Rosewood Hong Kong
Soaring over Victoria Harbour, Rosewood Hong Kong is a new centre of gravity on the Kowloon waterfront — the crown jewel of the Victoria Dockside arts and design district. On passing the gate and traversing the cobblestoned drive, the urban din falls away, revealing lush topiary and a serene forecourt that commands the harbour. A warm welcome heralds a stay of unparalleled comfort and distinctive hospitality at the Hong Kong luxury hotel.
For more information, visit: https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/ or follow @rosewoodhongkong on Instagram.
ecoSPIRITS Embarks on Journey to B Corporation Certification
SINGAPORE 11 DECEMBER 2020 ecoSPIRITS has been granted status as the first Pending B Corp in Asia, as it embarks on a year-long journey to secure the coveted B Corp Certification offered by B Lab, a global non-profit organisation. B Corps are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
ecoSPIRITS’ belief that society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and non-profits alone inspired the company to join the B Corp movement. The growing global community of certified B Corp companies, which includes impact leaders Danone, Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, is working toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.
“ecoSPIRITS mission to end single use glass in the spirits industry has deep environmental foundations. However, we realise our work to have a positive impact cannot end there,” notes ecoSPIRITS CEO Paul Gabie, “By pledging to become a B Corp, we are committing to better understand the impact of our operations on the environment, our communities, our suppliers, our team members and others we engage in our work.”
“We are extremely excited to welcome ecoSPIRITS to the B Corp community and to partner with them on the journey to full certification in 2021. The Pending B Status provides a mark of intent for companies to manage their impact and inform stakeholders of their intent, notes Tom Stewart, Executive Director for B Market Building in Singapore and Malaysia, “ecoSPIRITS is a visionary organisation, addressing a key environmental issue, and a great business to have as the first Pending B in Asia.”
The B Corp Certification assesses the overall positive impact of a company. To be certified, companies must achieve a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous evaluation of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community and the environment. Once completed, ecoSPIRITS’ B Corp certification score and impact assessment will be public, and available on bcorporation.net. This powerful combination of third-party validation, public transparency and legal accountability builds trust.
The patent-pending ecoTOTE 3.0, a closed loop technology for spirits distribution.
The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program supports low-income communities in the endangered Kalimantan rainforest area of Borneo.
From supply chain and input materials to charitable giving and employee benefits, B Corp Certification will require ecoSPIRITS to evaluate every aspect of its business and operations with impact in mind. Just one example of the impact of the B Corp process: ecoSPIRITS will now be required to audit, monitor and support its manufacturing partners in China, who produce ecoPLANTS, ecoTOTES and other ecoSPIRITS hardware and technologies, to ensure their environmental and labour practices meet B Corp standards.
“To obtain the Pending B status, we have already completed the first step of amending our corporate constitution to include the B Corp purpose clause. It now legally requires our board of directors to balance profit and purpose,” notes Cash van Halder, ecoSPIRITS General Counsel, “To maintain transparency as we complete the journey to full B Corp Certification over the next 12 months, ecoSPIRITS will provide interim updates on our progress. And once certified, we will also be subject to a B Corp audit every three years to ensure we are maintaining high standards of positive impact, governance and transparency.”
For a young technology company with a mission of environmental impact, B Corp Certification is a natural fit. By becoming a member of the growing B Corp community, ecoSPIRITS hopes to inspire others in the spirits industry to join this movement towards a more sustainable and inclusive global economy.
About B Lab
B Lab is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, and tools for business, and we certify companies—known as B Corps—who are leading the way. To date, our community includes over 3,500 B Corps in 70 countries and 150 industries, and over 100,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager.
For more information, please visit bcorporation
ecoSPIRITS Releases the SmartPour, Streamlining the Closed Loop Experience
SINGAPORE 2 NOVEMBER 2020 ecoSPIRITS today announced the release of the latest addition to its closed-loop spirits distribution technology, the SmartPour automatic dispense accessory for the ecoTOTE. This latest hardware release will further improve the closed loop operations experience for hundreds of venue partners and hospitality operators who have already adopted the ecoSPIRITS low carbon, low waste system. The SmartPour will become available across all ecoSPIRITS Asia Pacific markets in the coming weeks.
The new SmartPour, an automatic dispense accessory for the ecoTOTE
Circular economy solutions, while offering transformative environmental impact, present complex challenges in packaging design, closed loop logistics, user experience, and quality control. The ecoSPIRITS system, which is a 360-degree approach to circular spirits distribution, is anchored by three proprietary technologies: the ecoPLANT, a containerised, semi-automated spirits processing facility; the patent-pending ecoTOTE™, a tamper–proof, closed–loop 4.5L vessel; and, now, the SmartPour™, an electronic accessory for seamless, hygienic in-venue dispense and sustainable refilling. When operated as a closed loop system, the ecoSPIRITS technologies eliminate more than 95% of the packaging waste and as much as 80% of the carbon footprint of spirits distribution and consumption.
The ecoSPIRITS closed loop system for spirits distribution
The new SmartPour accessory enables ecoSPIRITS partner bars and restaurants to quickly and accurately transfer spirits from an ecoTOTE to spirits bottles, cocktail shakers, or serving vessels. When mated with an ecoTOTE, the SmartPour provides a one-push pour at 30ml, 45ml, 60ml and 700ml volumes, along with a continuous pour option for any desired fill volume. Regional variants will be available for standard pouring measures in all global markets.
Battery powered with convenient USB-C charging, the SmartPour is compliant with global hygiene best practices for food handling, as well as FCC and RoHS standards in the United States and European Union, respectively. The SmartPour is compatible with both the new ecoTOTE 3.0 and the prior generation ecoTOTE 2.0, allowing for seamless deployment in existing ecoSPIRITS cities.
A SmartPour used to sustainably serve, and refill, Peddlers Gin, the world’s first Shanghai craft gin.
“ecoSPIRITS supports hundreds of partner hospitality venues across our Asia Pacific markets. The release of the SmartPour will improve their closed loop experience, while further enhancing hygiene standards and reducing labour costs,” notes Bob Syihabuddin, ecoSPIRITS Operations Engineer and lead for Asia Pacific closed loop operations, “The SmartPour solution provides a fast, accurate pour every time. It also integrates easily into back-of-house operations and processes.”
The SmartPour offers ecoSPIRITS partner venues a range of performance upgrades over the prior manual transfer solution, improving speed, hygiene, and accuracy. Each unit is water resistant, easy to clean, and transitions seamlessly between spirit types. SmartPours come packaged with all necessary accessories, as well as a link to a brief online product training resource.
One push pours that are fast and accurate
The perfect complement to the ecoTOTE
Whether batching cocktails, direct service, or sustainably refilling branded spirits bottles, the SmartPour completes the ecoSPIRITS closed loop in a user-friendly manner. Eliminating single use glass in the spirits industry just got easier.
ecoSPIRITS Partners with Green Steps Group
SINGAPORE 22 May 2020 ecoSPIRITS has announced a partnership with Green Steps Group, carbon dioxide (CO2) impact specialists, to launch the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program , which will further offset the carbon impact of beverage operations at leading hotels, bars and restaurants across Asia Pacific. With this first-of-its kind program, ecoSPIRITS and its partner venues, spirit brands and distributors deepen their commitment to carbon impact leadership in the beverage industry.
The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will help ecoSPIRITS partner venues generate additional carbon mitigation beyond the substantial carbon footprint reduction from their use of low-waste, low-carbon spirits. Under the program, one tree will be planted for each cycle of an ecoTOTE through the ecoSPIRITS closed loop distribution platform. Each tree planted will be geo-tagged in the name of the partner venue. Using Green Steps Group’s proprietary “proof of planting” technology platform, the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will be verified, monitored, and reported through an industry-leading digital trail. Tree planting benefits the partner venue, but is jointly funded by ecoSPIRITS, its spirit brand partners, such as Plantation Rum and Widges Gin, and its licensed local distributors, such as Proof & Company Australia.
ecoSPIRITS CEO Paul Gabie notes, “Through its closed loop technology, ecoSPIRITS already generates a transformative reduction in the carbon footprint of premium spirits. But reduction is not elimination. The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program ensures we ourselves offset the balance of the carbon footprint from our business and manufacturing operations. More importantly, it will allow the rapidly growing network of ecoSPIRITS partner venues to offset a substantial portion of the remaining carbon footprint of their beverage operations.”
The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will initially focus on a reforestation tract of the endangered Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo, Indonesia. During the first year of the program, the parties expect to plant at least 25,000 locally grown trees in the area. The process begins with the planting of saplings of indigenous trees, which have been grown from seed at on-site nurseries, in an area cleared of invasive jungle vines. This is a tough, labour-intensive process known as silviculture. In the first year, the planting site is revisited every few months to be manually cleared of the vines, which can overwhelm and smother the young trees. Once safely established, however, these future forest giants can sequester CO2 for more than 200 years.
The Kalimantan rainforest replanting area in Borneo, Indonesia
Andrew Kerr, Green Steps Group founder, explains: “In simple terms, CO2 sequestration refers to the conversion of atmospheric CO2 into carbon. Trees are approximately 50% carbon, which means half of every tree is long-term-stored CO2, and with the massive and incredibly fast growing trees in Borneo this is one of the best places on Earth to capture CO2.”
Under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, the principal local tree species planted will be Dillenia Borneensis, Octomeles Sumatrana, and Molotus Muticus. Approximately 12 kg of CO2 is sequestered per tree, per year, over an initial 12-year period. Beyond 12 years, the sequestration increases as the trees grow. With life spans averaging 200 years, and with some of the trees such as Octomeles Sumatrana living up to 500 years, the average tree in the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will sequester 2,400 kg of CO2 – or the equivalent of eliminating 4,800 single use glass spirit bottles – over its entire lifespan.
The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will be managed by a cooperative (co-op) of four villages, who share the income from the tree planting. In addition, they set aside funding for village student scholarships and medical emergencies. Prior to COVID-19, the village co-ops relied mainly on ecotourism for funding, but the impact of the pandemic has left the village planting-operation entirely dependent on support from enterprises such as ecoSPIRITS, Green Steps Group and their spirits and distribution partners. Working together, the ecoSPIRITS network is helping to regenerate a safe, natural habitat for some of the planet’s most rare and endangered wildlife, while also providing hugely valuable CO2 sequestration.
The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program will have a substantial impact on the carbon footprint of ecoSPIRITS partner venues. By choosing ecoSPIRITS, venues already generate 550g of carbon emissions savings per 700ml bottle of spirit poured. The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program now adds an additional 1,800g of yearly emissions savings for each bottle poured. One such venue is Cantina OK! in Sydney, Australia, which will plant at least 250 trees per year by pouring spirits. The annual carbon impact of Cantina OK!’s ecoSPIRITS partnership, through both the elimination of single use glass and reforestation, will now exceed 4,000kg of emissions reduction. And all this for a 15-square meter laneway bar.
“Rarely do you get the opportunity to work with innovative people looking to make the world a better place. Not everyone sees the forest for the trees. Our relationship with ecoSPIRITS is one of those unique win-win situations. We thought eliminating single use glass bottles was game-changing, but the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program has really set a new precedent,” says Alex Dowd, Co-Owner, Cantina OK!. “We’re proud to be a part of it and feel lucky that, even in a small space, we can contribute to offsetting our carbon impact and reforesting endangered rainforests. We hope that other companies around the world are taking notice of the new standards being set.”
About Green Steps Group
Green Steps Group, a Swedish-based technology start-up, provides governance for the tree planting organization and the measurement of the CO2 output of each tree. Using a proprietary platform that combines geo-tagging, camera-traps and satellite multi-spectrum imagery to monitor individual trees , GSG and the on-site research scientists track the overall health of the forest and track the long-term CO2 impact at a per-tree level. Demonstrating how quickly success can be achieved, GSG has been able to document the movements of orangutans sleeping in trees that were planted only a few years ago.
For more information, please visit www.greenstepsgroup.com