Bacardi and Danimer Scientific’s biodegradable bottle boosts plastic pollution fight

26 Oct 2020 --- Bacardi is unveiling plans to develop a 100 percent biodegradable and compostable bioplastic bottle by 2023. The family-owned spirits company is using Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA – a biopolymer derived from the natural oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy – to replace petroleum-based plastics. The bottle cap will also be made of biopolymer.

The biodegradable bottle will replace 80 million plastic bottles – equating to 3,000 tons of plastic – produced by Bacardi across its portfolio of brands every year.

While conventional plastic bottles take over 400 years to decompose, the PHA spirits bottle biodegrades in a wide range of environments, including compost, soil, freshwater and seawater, and after 18 months disappears without leaving behind harmful microplastics.

“Our preferred method [of disposal] for the maximum environmental benefit is a home composting bin, an industrial composting facility or an anaerobic digester,” a Bacardi spokesperson tells PackagingInsights.

“The bottle shelf life is expected to be a minimum of 18 months. Beyond this period, the spirit inside the bottle may begin to very slowly evaporate.”

“The bottle will not biodegrade in normal storage conditions. It will only start to biodegrade when it’s in an environment where microorganisms can consume it.”

Bacardi rum will be the first spirit to appear in the new bottle before the plant-based material is rolled out across Bacardi’s 200 brands and labels, including Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, Patrón tequila, Martini vermouth and Dewar’s Scotch whisky.

Cracking the closure conundrum
Bacardi’s Packaging Development team is aiming to crack one of the beverage industry’s longest-standing plastic problems – the plastic lining of bottle closures – through Nodax PHA’s material versatility.

“It may sound small, but add that up across every bottle produced globally and we’re talking many tons of plastic every day,” notes Jean-Marc Lambert, Bacardi’s senior vice president, global operations.

“Once we’ve fixed the problem, we’ll be open-sourcing the solution for the entire industry to use. This isn’t about competitive advantage – it’s about doing the right thing for the planet.”

The biodegradable bottle represents a major step toward Barcardi achieving its goal of being 100 percent plastic-free in the next 10 years.

The company is also committing to removing all its non-essential, single-use plastic, including all plastic gift box materials and plastic point-of-sale materials, in the next three years.

“By 2023, we will have removed single-use plastic from our secondary packaging and point-of-sale materials. By 2025, 100 percent of our packaging will be recyclable and contain 40 percent recycled content. And by 2030, we will be 100 percent plastic-free,” the spokesperson reiterates.Bacardi is using Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA – a biopolymer derived from the natural oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy – to replace petroleum-based plastics. The bottle cap will also be made of biopolymer.

The best of both worlds
Nodax PHA was verified as a biodegradable alternative to petrochemical plastics by the University of Georgia (UGA) and the UGA New Materials Institute in a 2018 study.

Danimer Scientific uses the material for a wide range of applications, including thermoformed trays, drinking straws, flexible and multi-layer film packaging, coatings and disposable cutlery.

“Nodax PHA is one of the most promising eco-friendly materials in the world today, delivering the biodegradability that consumers demand without losing the quality feel they receive from traditional plastic,” explains Scott Tuten, Danimer Scientific’s chief marketing & sustainability officer.

“The material provides the best of both worlds, and we look forward to working with Bacardi and incorporating PHA into their iconic packaging.”

Paper bottle parallel project
Bacardi is also creating a sustainably sourced paper bottle. This alternative solution will have equally strong environmental credentials, integrating the Nodax PHA polymer.

The paper bottle will ensure the quality and taste of the spirit inside meets the same standards as glass bottles.

“We are developing both bottles simultaneously and anticipate both being on shelf by 2023. We believe that both packs will be of equal benefit to the environment, although the period over which they biodegrade will vary slightly,” the spokesperson tells PackagingInsights.

“We are estimating that the 100 percent biopolymer bottle will biodegrade over 18 months, although the exact timeframe will depend on the final design and the thickness and formulation of the biopolymer.”

“We are anticipating that the paper bottle will biodegrade in slightly less than 18 months.”

In good spirits
In 2016, Bacardi committed to eliminating all single-use plastic straws in its cocktails. Two years ago, it collaborated with the Lonely Whale Foundation to remove single-use plastic straws from bars and restaurants.

Danimer Scientific’s use of Nodax PHA to create “the world’s first” completely biodegradable plastic drinking straw in 2018 complements these initiatives.

In July, UK-based Frugalpac launched a wine bottle – called Frugal Bottle – made from 94 percent recycled paperboard and a food-grade liner. Frugal Bottle is five times lighter than a standard glass bottle and uses up to 77 percent less plastic. The first taker is Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia, filling the Frugal Bottle with its unwooded Sangiovese red 3Q.

PackagingInsights recently explored the trends driving alcoholic beverage packaging NPD in a two-part report.

By Joshua Poole