Diageo and Encirc partner in net zero glass project
Diageo and the glass manufacturer Encirc have announced a partnership to create the world’s first net zero glass bottles at scale by 2030.
Encirc, a Vidrala company, plans to build a new furnace at its Elton plant, Cheshire, which will reduce carbon emissions by 90% using green electricity and low-carbon hydrogen.
In 2021, Encirc, in collaboration with glass industry partners Glass Futures, trialled one of its furnaces in its Northern Ireland plant on sustainable biofuels, using 100% recycled glass. The resultant bottles had a carbon footprint of up to 90% lower than a standard glass bottle.
Adrian Curry, MD of Encirc said: “This will be a major step in our goal of producing net zero glass by 2030. With support from the government and key partners, Encirc and Diageo we believe it will be possible to have this first-of-its-kind furnace up and running at the beginning of 2027.”
The news follows Encirc's recent acquisition of The Park bottling warehouse in Bristol, further establishing Encirc in the UK glass beverage market.
Commenting, Ewan Andrew, president, global supply & procurement and chief sustainability officer at Diageo, said: “We are really excited to be a part of this world-leading announcement which forms part of our commitment to halve our Scope 3 carbon emissions by 2030.
“All renewable energy options are important to us and we’d like to see government and industry further accelerating the direct supply of green energy as a mainstream option. Ultimately, we look forward to a world where people can enjoy their favourite drinks from zero-carbon glass bottles.”
The use of the zero-carbon furnace will contribute towards Diageo’s commitments in its ESG action plan Society 2030 to reduce carbon emissions across its supply chain by 2030.
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