These new, biodegradable bottles will replace 80 million bottles of alcohol across the Bacardi product line annually. So which eco-friendly, biodegradable packaging company has Bicardi teamed up with? Danimer Scientific. The privately held company located in Bainbridge, Georgia has created compostable polymers.
Traditional plastic polymers that are used in making plastic bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate or PET for short. PET is nearly indestructible because most bacteria that breaks down natural materials over time cannot break down items made out of PET – with one exception: UV light . UV can break down PET over a very long period of time. In that process, all kinds of bioproduct chemicals that are harmful to us and to our environment are released.
The biodegradable, compostable polymers that are made by Danimer Scientific will break down in 1.5 years in either compost, soil, freshwater or saltwater. The specific material that will be used in the Bacardi bottles is called Nodax PHA. It is derived from oils and seeds including canola and soy.
This bioplastic is already being used for thermoformed trays, drinking straws, multilayer flexible film packaging, coatings and disposable cutlery. Bacardi plans to share the bottle technology with competitors. Bacardi also will remove more single-use plastic, including gift box and point-of-sale materials, in the next three years.
This is a HUGE conservation win! So in addition to the elimination of the aluminum can plastic ring – which started with the Saltwater Brewery here in South Florida and was picked up by beer giant Corona – the alcohol giant Bacardi will now also join in becoming more sustainable. A huge, massive thank you to all who are involved in this massive, massive win!
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen these plastic alcohol bottles during beach and waterway clean ups. This will help to reduce that waste – which is a huge part of the overall plastic pollution problem.