Biodegradable Spirits Bottle

Bacardi wants to swap crude oil for seed oil as the starting material for bottles and thus develop a 100 percent biodegradable spirit bottle. This bottle is expected to hit the shelves by 2023 and then replace around 80 million plastic bottles.

Within 18 months it should be able to biodegrade. And save at least 3,000 tons of conventional plastic: Bacardi, the world’s largest family-owned spirits company, wants to put the new, 100 percent biodegradable bottle on the shelves by 2023. This is being developed in close cooperation with Danimer Scientific, a developer and manufacturer of biodegradable products. Petroleum-based plastics are to be replaced by „Nodax PHA“ from Danimer Scientific, a biopolymer made from natural oils from plant seeds such as palm, rape and soya.

Broad application planned

Bacardi Rum is said to be the first spirit to be launched on the market in the new bottle. The material will then be used more widely throughout Bacardi’s supply chain and the company’s 200 brands. „We‘re excited to be pioneering this new biopolymer technology for the benefit of all Bacardi brands and the entire spirits industry,“ said Ned Duggan, Senior Vice President at Bacardi.

In addition to the new, biopolymer spirits bottle, Bacardi also wants to create a paper bottle. By integrating „Nodax PHA“, this alternative solution should be just as environmentally friendly and at the same time ensure that the quality and taste of the spirit is maintained at the same level as glass bottles.