Diageo said it has been trialling ‘the lowest carbon footprint glass bottles ever produced for a Scotch whisky brand’ for its Black & White Scotch whisky.
The pilot project, in 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 per cent.
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.
While further work still needed to develop and scale the trial for future production, Diageo said the pilot nevertheless represented ‘a significant step forward’ in its drive to transform the sustainability of its grain-to-glass supply chain.
“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,” commented John Aird, senior packaging technologist at Diageo, who led the project for the company.
“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.”
Following the success of the trial Diageo has agreed a 10-year partnership with Glass Futures to accelerate collaboration and innovation in the glass industry.
“We see Glass Futures as a great opportunity to develop new technology and to help deliver net zero glass manufacturing and we are delighted to support them in that mission,” Aird added.
The project is part of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Energy Innovation Programme, within which Glass Futures is leading a £7.1m initiative to explore the most effective routes to switching glass manufacturing to low carbon fuels.
