UK—Pernod Ricard has entered a five-year global licensing agreement with Ecospirits, a circular packaging company, to distribute its brands in on-premise venues.
This collaboration follows a successful pilot conducted in 2022 with the Singapore-based company.
The global rollout will feature Pernod Ricard’s Beefeater London Dry Gin, Havana Club Rum, and Absolut Vodka packaged and distributed using Ecospirits’ custom storage and dispenser system.
The primary system, Ecotote, is a reusable glass container that holds 4.5 liters of liquid, encased in a branded outer shell. This innovative solution aims to significantly reduce packaging waste by providing on-premise locations with branded refillable containers.
Maria Pia De Caro, EVP of Integrated Operations and Sustainability at Pernod Ricard, emphasized the environmental and operational benefits of the partnership.
“This next step in our partnership with Ecospirits reflects our belief in the transformative power of this solution to enhance operational efficiency and reduce not only our environmental footprint but the impact of our industry at large,” she said.
Ecospirits’ containers are equipped with internet connectivity to report depletion levels and allow for the precise pouring of spirits according to local measurements.
To facilitate local bottling and refilling, Ecospirits maintains facilities called ‘Ecoplants,’ which function as bottling and Ecotote cleaning units. One such Ecoplant has been established at Pernod Ricard’s Havana Club distillery in San José de las Lajas to service the rum’s home market.
Paul Gabie, CEO of Ecospirits, highlighted the long-term collaboration between the two companies. “Pernod Ricard and Ecospirits have been working together for almost three years now to make circularity a reality in the spirits industry. This new global agreement builds on that journey, and our combined expertise, to bring circular packaging to more Pernod Ricard markets around the world,” Gabie said.
The partnership with Ecospirits aligns with Pernod Ricard’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint.
The company joins industry peers like Diageo, which also announced plans to implement Ecospirits’ systems in 2024 and conduct an analysis of the pilot’s sustainability benefits over three years.
In addition to its collaboration with Pernod Ricard, Ecospirits has deployed SmartKiosk refill machines for spirit bottles in retail stores in Singapore and plans to expand this initiative to the European market.
The SmartKiosk system allows consumers to refill branded bottles of spirits at their local supermarket, reducing the need for single-use glass and plastics.
Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Business Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food and agro industry. HERE
