![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.dutyfreehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Bacardi_Superior_Innovation_PaperBottle_US_Lifestyle_preview.jpg\")
Bacardi has made a giant leap forward in the fight against climate change and plastic pollution, as it unveils plans to put the world\u2019s most sustainable spirits bottle on shelf by 2023.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The new 100% biodegradable bottle will replace 80 Million plastic bottles \u2013 3,000 tons of plastic \u2013 currently produced by Bacardi across its portfolio of brands every year.<\/p>\n
This revolutionary move by Bacardi is possible thanks to its close collaboration with Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable products. Petroleum-based plastics used by Bacardi today will be replaced by Danimer Scientific\u2019s Nodax\u2122 PHA, a biopolymer which derives from the natural oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy. While a regular plastic bottle takes over 400 years to decompose, the new spirits bottle made from Nodax\u2122 PHA will biodegrade in a wide range of environments, including compost, soil, freshwater and sea water, and after 18 months disappear without leaving behind harmful microplastics.<\/p>\n
BACARD\u00cd\u00ae rum will be the first spirit to appear in the new bottle, before the plant-based material is rolled out to replace single-use plastic across the entire Bacardi supply chain and the company\u2019s 200 brands and labels including BOMBAY SAPPHIRE\u00ae gin, GREY GOOSE\u00ae vodka, PATR\u00d3N\u00ae tequila, MARTINI\u00ae vermouth and DEWAR\u2019S\u00ae Scotch whisky.<\/p>\n
Ned Duggan, Senior Vice President, BACARD\u00cd rum, said: \u2018Over our 158-year history, BACARD\u00cd has always believed in respecting the world\u2019s natural resources and acting responsibly, from the sustainable sourcing of our sugarcane to the water and energy used to make our rum. We\u2019re now excited to be pioneering this new biopolymer technology for the benefit of all Bacardi brands and the entire spirits industry.\u2019<\/p>\n
As well as the new 100% biopolymer spirits bottle, Bacardi is also creating a sustainably sourced paper bottle. By integrating the Nodax\u2122 PHA polymer, this alternative solution will have equally strong environmental credentials while ensuring the quality and taste of the spirit inside a bottle made of paper is as exceptional as one made of glass.<\/p>\n
Jean-Marc Lambert, Senior Vice President, Global Operations for Bacardi, said: \u2018When 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\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening through our partnership with Danimer.\u2019<\/p>\n
Thanks to the versatility of this innovative new material, the Bacardi Packaging Development team will also crack one of the beverage industry\u2019s longest-standing plastic problems \u2013 the plastic lining of bottle closures. \u2018It may sound small,\u2019 says Jean-Marc, \u2018but add that up across every bottle produced globally and we\u2019re talking many tons of plastic every day. Once we\u2019ve fixed the problem, we\u2019ll be open sourcing the solution for the entire industry to use. This isn\u2019t about competitive advantage it\u2019s about doing the right thing for the planet.\u2019<\/p>\n
The announcement by Bacardi represents a major step towards the company achieving its goal of being 100% plastic-free in the next 10 years. As well as launching the new biopolymer bottle in 2023, the company has also committed to removing all its non-essential, single-use plastic, including all plastic gift box materials and plastic point-of-sale materials, in the next three years.<\/p>\n