ecoSPIRITS is an innovative closed-loop distribution system that is hoping to eliminate packaging waste in the global spirits supply chain. Aside from reducing the carbon footprint of moving spirits around the world, ecoSPIRITS also offers a genuine cost-saving for venues that adopt the technology. Founded in Singapore in 2018, ecoSPIRITS is now available in 9 countries and 30 cities across the Asia Pacific and Europe.
The problem: 40 billion glass spirit bottles are produced annually, generating 22 million tons of carbon emissions. Glass packaging production requires a lot of energy, then filling, labelling and transporting each bottle from the place of origin to your local bar adds plenty of carbon emissions into the mix. And despite the best intentions of many, most glass spirit bottles are not recycled and end up in landfills.
Wasted glass bottles in landfill. Photo: Flickr, via Anders Sandberg.
How does ecoSPIRITS solve this problem?
ecoSPIRITS eliminates the need for most of these bottles, by transporting liquid in bulk format to its ecoPLANTS dotted around the world. This saves at least 550 grams of carbon emissions per bottle. And at the core of this process is the ecoTOTE, which is a patented closed-loop glass vessel that is entirely reusable and holds 4.5 Litres of spirits. Partner bars, restaurants and hotels are equipped to sustainably refill branded spirits bottles from the ecoTOTE or pour spirits straight from the ecoTOTE. When the vessel is empty, it is sent back to the ecoPLANT to be cleaned and reused – up to 1000 times.
Single-use packaging for spirits comes at a huge cost to the planet, as well as distributors and customers. ecoSPIRITS offers a truly sustainable, cost-effective, closed-loop system for transporting, distributing and pouring spirits, and an option for consumers to make choices that make an impact.