We speak to SPIRITBRIDGE co-founder, Tom Coates to find out who he thinks are the true pioneers of sustainability within drinks production.

Sustainability. A buzz word of the modern era; in any and every industry...

From fashion to finance, environmental footprints and climate positivity are phrases on every brand’s lips…or their comms decks at least.

Whilst sustainable mindfulness within the globe’s boundless brands and manufacturers is unequivocally progression, for many it appears that the bold claims and declarations can oft be merely a marketing pillar rather than an authentic goal or company value with tangible changes and steps taken. As such, greenwashing has become a cause for consumers to become very wary of brands’ environmental claims.

So, which brands really are making a difference? Who should we be championing to succeed through the changes they’ve made to their production process in the Spirits industry? SPIRITBRIDGE co-founder, Tom Coates tells us his thoughts.

Gin Martini, please…Wonky & Recyclable

Penrhos Spirits impress with their sustainability approach for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are the first spirits brand to market using recycled aluminium bottles. According to the Herefordshire based distiller,  “We found that aluminium is the most recycled material, it is capable of being recycled multiple times without losing its original properties. Almost 75% of aluminium ever produced is still in the material loop today.”

Not only that, but the brand have partnered with Oddbox, fruit and veg delivery service, to fight food waste. The collaboration results in a Limited Edition Cucumber and Apple Gin, stopping wonky produce from going to land fill and putting it to good use. The sku joins their Wonky Raspberry expression to their food waste rescuing offering.

Give Peas A Chance

A pioneering move in Spirits NPD from Becky Davies at the sustainably focussed distributor, Ten Locks as they create Pod Vodka; a vodka made from British Peas.

Why is sustainable? Well, for a few reasons.

Firstly, the pea, as a crop, is one of the most sustainable produce available. The crop fixes the nitrogen levels within the soil, allowing and encouraging other crops to grow without the need for synthetic fertilisers.

The still they use to distil the liquid is steam heated, meaning their CO2 emissions are lower, not to mention the reduction in energy usage.

This innovative brand’s mindfulness doesn’t just stop here. Their packaging is to be applauded.

Their bottles are made of transition glass, which is glass destined for further processing.

Their labels avoid the use of foil, plastic and toxic inks, using FSC certified sandpaper, meaning the bottle is easily recyclable.

The corks? These will soon be 100% compostable.

They’re even working on a plan for their waste to be usable. The leftover pulp from the peas is in the process of being turned into protein powder for pet food.

Truly closed loop spirit production. They claim to be ‘imperfectly perfect’…but in terms of taking a step change for sustainability in spirits production, they seem pretty perfect to me. Definitely more than one reason to ‘give peas a chance’

Absolut Paper (or just over half)

It would be remiss of me to discuss sustainability in the drinks industry without mentioning the recent packaging innovation from Pernod Ricard for Absolut Vodka. Made with 57% paper and recyclable plastic, the bottle is the first on the market as a single mould created in collaboration with Paboco (Paper Bottle Company), the company behind Carlsberg’s green fibre beer bottle that launched last year.

Currently available as a trial in Manchester based Tesco stores due to the city's high recycling rates and facilities. The drinks company will evaluate sales and logistics of the bottle for potential further roll out. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the packaging performs with consumers as a potential option for future brands looking to make their packaging more sustainable.

Tote-ally Innovative

Of course, I can’t go without mentioning the fantastic and truly innovative work the guys down at Ecospirits have been doing for some time, now.

 Reducing single use glass usage, the company created a low waste packaging system for spirits and wines, eliminating an enormous amount of packaging waste in the hospitality industry, drastically reducing carbon emissions.

 They work with over 2,000 hospitality venues and 150 brands globally, including our very own Portobello Road Gin, which is available in the EcoTote system via Mangrove.

Delivering closed loop, zero waste packaging options on a highly scalable and cost effective level. What’s not to love?

Put a cork in it…for the sake of the environment!

Meandering away, slightly from spirit production and taking a look at an admirable 360 degree campaign in the wine industry that encourages wine producers to take the step change to use corks instead of screwcaps and consumers to choose their wine with a cork…and then to recycle it.

Why?

Because Cork is one of the most highly renewable and ecofriendly resources in the world. Cork oak trees constantly regenerate and specifically ,the Cork Forests in Portugal help to offset around 10 million tons of carbon every year. Subsequently, the rooting of their forests for the purpose of wine cork creation is vital for the fight against global warming and protecting the Portuguese ecosystem.

The campaign, initiated by the Portuguese Cork Association and carried out by Phipps Relations, saw a collaboration between Majestic, initiating a ‘Cork Harvest’. The campaign communicated the environmental benefits of choosing a corked wine over a screwcap bottle to consumers, while then encouraging them to return their corks to ‘harvest bins’ in Majestic stores, undoubtedly also driving footfall and repeat purchase. Nice.

The corks were mulched and used by the Eden Project to enrich soil systems.

67,000 corks were harvested across the UK between September 2021 – January 2022, saving over 20,700kg of CO2. But this was just the beginning. The campaign has continued within Majestic as a long term activation and furthermore, inspired 2 further retailers to get onboard.

An inspiring campaign with authentic intention, that excellently tackled the issue with a 360 approach to outstanding results.