Bacardi has cut its glass bottle production emissions by 30% in a trial using hydrogen earlier this month as it aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2025.
The spirits company worked with Hrastnik1860 to pioneer new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as its primary energy source and in doing so cut the emissions typically produced as a by product of glass bottle production.
Over the course of the trial, which produced 150,000 of the brand’s 70cl glass bottles, hydrogen contributed more than 60% of the fuel for the glass furnace, cutting GHG emissions by more than 30%.
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“Piloting this lower carbon glass production is another example of Bacardi leading the industry in environmental best practice,” said Bacardi vice president of safety, quality and sustainability Rodolfo Nervi.
“We will take the learnings from the trial to help shape a pathway to hydrogen-fuelled glass production and create a blueprint for others to follow,” he added.
“It’s only through making change as an industry that we can bring significant change to our impact on the environment.”
Hrastnik1860 CEO Peter Čas 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.
“This revolutionary technology proves the two can go hand in hand and we are now taking the first steps in bringing it to market.”
