Collaborates on innovation trial with glass manufacturer Encirc
Leading distiller Diageo has collaborated in a successful pilot project to pioneer the lowest carbon footprint glass bottles ever produced for a Scotch whisky brand.
The collaboration with glass manufacturer Encirc and leading industry research and technology body Glass Futures, used waste-based biofuel-powered furnaces to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle-making process by up to 90%.
For the purposes of the trial Diageo used its Black & White Scotch whisky brand – famous for its label featuring a West Highland terrier and a Scotty dog, and which is a popular and growing whisky in key global export markets.
The trial produced 173,000 Black & White bottles, also using 100% recycled glass, making the batch the most environmentally-friendly ever produced for a Scotch whisky brand.
Further work now needs to be done to develop and scale the trial for future production, but it represents a significant step forward in Diageo’s drive to transform the sustainability of its grain-to-glass supply chain.
John Aird, Senior Packaging Technologist at Diageo, who led the project for the company, 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.
This trial is just a first step in the journey to decarbonise this aspect of our supply chain and we still have a long way to go, but we are delighted with the results of the collaboration and the platform it creates for future innovation.”