Proof & Co., a Singapore-based spirits distributor, has recently launched its zero-waste solution to spirits packaging, ecoSpirits, which aims to tackle the carbon footprint and waste associated with single-use glass in the alcohol industry.

Put into commercial use in Singapore in 2018, this closed-loop spirits distribution technology is an advantage for spirit producers, large-scale hospitality operators and bars.

Spirits distribution involves moving large quantities of spirits long distances around the world and Proof & Co. has long been concerned about the carbon footprint generated by this process.

With the majority of the product cost and carbon footprint of spirits bound up in its packaging and transport, this mission also provides a substantial business cost advantage.

At the heart of the solution is ecoTote, a reusable vessel that carries 4.5 litres of spirit, which is filled up at a small footprint facility called ecoPlant where different spirits from distilleries with bulk containers are stored.

Once filled up, ecoTotes are sent to bars where businesses can fill their bottles and send the container back to the intermediary ecoPlant. The idea is to reduce the overall impact of the spirits industry by tackling the use of glass in the supply chain.

The company says that this reduces the carbon footprint of the spirits life cycle by up to 80%. The transformative, patent-pending system also generates savings in packaging and eliminates 95% of cardboard and glass waste.

The stack-and-click design of the ecoTote is also storage-friendly, reducing up to 70% of space, an important consideration for markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

This, together with labour and logistics, are costs that make up 70% of the baseline expenditure for most bars.

ecoSpirits is already operating in Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, and will go live soon in Shanghai. During this roll-out the distributor has in store a lengthy line up of craft spirits, including Tried & True vodka, Widges gin, Mackintosh Scotch whisky, Arquitecto Tequila and Plantation rum.

The company has an impressive list of partners too, including Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, who are committing to using this closed-loop system across all its locations in the Asia-Pacific region.

As part of this partnership, ecoSpirits will also provide detailed carbon audit and waste savings and is extremely confident that it can eliminate a small portion of the 22 million tons of carbon emission that single-use glass spirit bottles will generate in 2020.

Looking ahead, the platform will be adding new brand offerings and partner tie-ups, and plan to expand outside of Asia into Europe and the United States in the coming months.