Bacardi cuts carbon footprint of glass bottle production in ‘first’ for spirits industry

Bacardi worked with glassmaker Hrastnik1860 to create new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as the primary energy source, therefore cutting down on the use of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions typically produced as a byproduct.

The bottle created in this trial was the ST-GERMAIN elderflower liquor bottle, it was reportedly identical to the original bottle and will reach bars and stores in the coming weeks.

The trial managed to produce to 150,000 70cl bottles, all while using hydrogen as 60% of the fuel, apparently cutting GHG emissions by over 30%.

“Piloting this lower carbon glass production is another example of Bacardi leading the industry in environmental best practice,” says Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President, Safety, Quality and Sustainability for Bacardi.”

Peter Čas, CEO of Hrastnik1860, added: “Successfully producing lower emission, premium glass bottles at a commercial scale, with absolutely no compromise on quality, has made all the hard work worthwhile. Like Bacardi, we are committed to developing new innovations that lower emissions while maintaining premium quality.”