Bacardi to introduce new biodegradable PHA bottle in 2023

In 2023 Bacardi will be launching its new 100% biodegradable bottles to replace the 80 million plastic bottles produced each year for its product portfolio, equivalent to 3,000 tonnes of plastic.

The project has been made possible by close collaboration with Danimer Scientific, a leading American developer and manufacturer of biodegradable products. Danimer will supply Bacardi with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biopolymer derived from the natural oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola, and soy and marketed under the Nodax brand.

While a regular plastic bottle takes over 400 years to decompose, the new bottle made from Nodax will biodegrade within 18 months and disappear completely without leaving any trace of harmful microplastics.

Bacardi is also studying the application of Nodax PHA for the plastic lining of bottle closures, a technology that it will open source for the entire industry to use. The project represents a major step towards Bacardi’s goal of becoming 100% plastic-free within the next 10 years.

As well as launching the new biopolymer bottle, the company has also committed to removing all its non-essential, single-use plastic, including all plastic gift box materials and plastic point-of-sale materials by 2023.

In 2016, Bacardi banned all single-use plastic straws in its cocktails and two years later began a collaboration with the Lonely Whale Foundation to remove single-use plastic straws from bars and restaurants.

Image credits: Bacardi