Diageo has teamed up with glass manufacturer Encirc to create the “world’s first” net zero glass bottles at scale.
Encirc plans to build a furnace powered by electricity and low-carbon hydrogen at its Elton plant in Cheshire, which it claims could produce up to 200 million net-zero glass bottles annually by 2030.
It claims the furnace, which will be fully operational by 2027, will help it reduce carbon emissions by 90%.
It is expected to produce up to 200 million Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Gordon’s and Tanqueray bottles annually by 2030, using technology to capture the remaining carbon emissions.
Encirc trialled one of the furnaces in 2021, in collaboration with Glass Futures. Located at the business’s Northern Ireland plant, the furnace ran on sustainable biofuels and produced a variety of bottles, including Diageo’s Black & White bottles, using 100% recycled glass.
They had a carbon footprint of up to 90% lower than a standard glass bottle, Encirc claimed.
According to Encirc MD Adrian Curry, glass was “an incredible material being infinitely recyclable and chemically inert”.
“This is about protecting glass as a material by addressing the carbon challenge. The work we and Glass Futures undertake will be shared with the UK glass industry to ensure glass remains as the packing of choice for many thousands more years.”
“This will be a major step in our goal of producing net zero glass by 2030,” he added.
Ewan Andrew, president of global supply & procurement and chief sustainability officer at Diageo, said the announcement formed part of its commitment to “halve our Scope 3 carbon emissions by 2030”.
“All renewable energy options are important to us, and we’d like to see government and industry further accelerating the direct supply of green energy as a mainstream option.
“Ultimately, we look forward to a world where people can enjoy their favourite drinks from zero-carbon glass bottles.”
No comments yet