In the mid-2010s, a sustainability-driven initiative took root in the bar “28 Hong Kong Street” in Singapore, promising a future where the issue of bottle waste could at least be mitigated, if not eliminated. A key part of this effort involved the introduction of Eco Totes, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint generated from bottle production and transportation.
Enter the Eco Tote: a mini-container available in sizes of 1.75 or 4.5 liters, which the filling line of EcoSpirits continuously refills, for instance, with vodka transported from Sweden. Their system, located possibly in a terminal in Italy, enables clients to refill their own previously used bottles—sanitized by hygienic methods and approved by legislation.
At Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, where bartenders whip up to twelve hundred Singapore Slings daily, they save around forty thousand bottles annually by using Eco Totes. To put that in perspective, this number of bottles would fill four large shipping containers typically used on overseas freight ships!
These totes, usually in green or color-coded to represent a specific product, are sent out to clients. As each box can be reused up to one hundred and fifty times, this system could save around a thousand bottles per tote.
Eco Totes have been adopted by ‘big’ names—Pernod Ricard distributes part of its Absolut vodka and three-year-old Havana Club rum this way, Rémy Cointreau delivers its exquisite orange liqueur, and Bacardi supplies ships of the Carneval Cruise line. They have taken hold in many countries across three continents, with successful implementation in Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. There is also consideration for adoption in India and the Czech Republic.
Eco Totes aren’t just a novel idea; they’re a testament to the spirits industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship, proving that sustainability can go hand in hand with enjoying the world’s finest beverages.
