Spirits giant Diageo has shared the product of their recent collaboration with glass manufacturer Encirc, a sustainable glass bottle, which is said to be the lowest carbon footprint glass bottles ever produced for a Scotch whisky brand.
Working alongside industry research and technology body Glass Futures, Diageo and Encirc created waste-based biofuel-powered furnaces – a new innovation that’s set to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle-making process by 90%.
Diageo used its Black & White Scotch whisky brand to test out the innovative technology. It produced 173,000 Black & White bottles using 100% recycled glass, which, according to the company, mates it the most environmentally friendly batch of Scotch whiskey ever made.
However, to make this technology for mass production, more work is needed. But it does mark a significant step forward, and the work underlines Diageo’s commitment to sustainability for its grain to glass supply chain. The company supported Glass Futures from the beginning, and as a result of successful trials, it has signed on a 10-year partnership to expedite the collaboration and innovation in the glass industry.
Speaking in a prepared statement, John Aird, Senior Packaging Technologist at Diageo said: “We are committed to creating a sustainable future for our business and that includes looking for innovative new ways to make our bottles and packaging that reduces the carbon footprint of our products,”
Aird said this trial is the first step in the company’s commitment to sustainable practices. “We see Glass Futures as a great opportunity to develop new technology and to help deliver net zero glass manufacturing and we are delighted to support them in that mission,”
Adrian Curry, Managing Director at Encirc, said the glass industry needs to work towards becoming the predominant packaging type. The project is part of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Energy and Innovation Programme.
“The trial is delivering fantastic results for the manufacturer, end user and consumer,” Aston Fuller, General Manager of Glass Futures said. “Glass is a fully recyclable and highly sustainable product, and through this trial with Encirc we are seeing the dawn of Net-Zero technologies with this full-scale trial of a new alternative low-carbon fuel.”
