Bacardi is bringing some good cheer to this rough year. The world’s largest family-owned spirits company is introducing a new biodegradable bottle that will replace the current plastic model by 2023.
The new bottles will be made of Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA, which is made of canola, soy, palm and other plant seeds rather than petroleum products. The new Bacardi bottles will biodegrade in 18 months — 398.5 years faster than the current model. Soil, freshwater, sea water or compost will all do the trick of reducing the new bottles to mush.
Related: Unilever ambitiously pledges to cut use of new plastics in half by 2025
“Nodax™ PHA is one of the most promising eco-friendly materials in the world today because it delivers the biodegradability that consumers demand without losing the quality feel they receive from traditional plastic,” said Scott Tuten, chief marketing and sustainability officer at Danimer Scientific. “The material provides the best of both worlds, and we look forward to working with Bacardi and incorporating PHA into their iconic packaging.”
How much difference can one liquor brand make? Quite a bit, if you manufacture top-sellers like Bacardi rum plus 200 other brands and labels, including Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, Patrón tequila, Martini vermouth and Dewar’s Scotch whisky. The company is currently selling about 80 million plastic bottles a year, equaling about 3,000 tons of plastic.
Other innovations include working on a new paper bottle made from sustainably sourced materials and replacing the plastic lining of bottle closures with a more eco-friendly material.
Jean-Marc Lambert, senior vice president of Bacardi’s global operations, said, “When we set ourselves the goal of being 100% plastic free by 2030, we knew that it would take ground-breaking advances in packaging design to make it achievable, and that’s exactly what’s happening through our partnership with Danimer.”
Via Business Wire
Images via Business Wire
