ASIA – British multinational alcoholic beverage company Diageo is trialling new packaging for its Smirnoff and Captain Morgan spirit brands.  

The London based company is partnering with tech company ecoSPIRITS for the trial that will start in Southeast Asia, with a view for a later rollout across Asia Pacific. 

 ecoSPIRITS’ new Intelligent Circular generation of technologies, including the new SmartPour 2.0S for dispensing spirits at the bar will be used during the trial. 

Participating restaurants and bars will use the SmartPour 2.0 technology to precisely dispense spirits.  

After being emptied, the ecoTOTE containers will be returned to Diageo for refilling, ensuring a ‘closed loop’ distribution and a reduction in single-use glass bottles. 

Diageo says the ecoSPIRITS closed-loop system will help reduce the carbon footprint and waste from single-use glass spirits bottles.  

“Diageo is guided by the goals outlined in our Society 2030: Spirit of Progress 10-year action plan and we are committed to building a low-carbon and zero-waste world,” said Preeti Arora Razdan, CEO, Southeast Asia, Diageo.  

“We are thrilled to be partnering with ecoSPIRITS to help us deliver on this promise to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and eliminate unnecessary glass waste with our on-premise customers.” 

The trial means that Diageo is the first of ecoSPIRITS partners to directly operate one of its ecoPLANT bottling facilities.  

 Sui Ling Cheah, Executive Board Chair of Singapore-headquartered ecoSPIRITS, added: “ecoSPIRITS is building a global platform for closed loop wine and spirits. Our roadmap for Intelligent Circular will help us, and pioneering customers like Diageo, tackle the environmental footprint of single use glass at unprecedented scale.” 

Diageo makes executive leadership changes in Britain 

Earlier, Diageo announced that Nuno Teles, currently President of the Diageo Beer Company (DBC) in North America, is to take over as managing director of Great Britain on 1 July 2022.  

He will replace the current Diageo GB managing director, Dayalan Nayager, who has been appointed President, Diageo Africa and will join the Diageo Executive Committee. 

Teles who joined Diageo in March 2018 from Heineken will report into John Kennedy, President Europe and India.  

John Kennedy said, “I would also like to congratulate Nuno Teles on his new appointment and welcome him to the European Executive Committee and I am excited about the expertise he will bring to the role and what he will achieve for GB.” 

Diageo said that since taking on the role as president of the DBC Teles has been instrumental in the transformation of the business and its culture.  

Under his leadership, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore became the number one taproom in America, with the Chicago taproom due to open in 2023.  

During his time in North America there has been an increase in female representation by 21% over the last year, the company said.  

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