As the company behind some of the world’s most iconic tipples, including Absolut Vodka, Beefeater London Dry Gin and Havana Club Rum, Pernod Ricard clearly know a thing or two about creating refreshing blends. Which is why its brand new partnership with ecoSPIRITS – an innovative low-waste, closed-loop distribution system – is mixing up the perfect pairing.

While glass bottles are infinitely recyclable, currently over 85 percent of Hong Kong’s glass and 89 percent of Singapore’s goes straight to landfill – an alarming statistic when you consider that the two cities have the world’s highest density of bars and restaurants.

See also: Is your cocktail eco-unfriendly?

Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS want to improve on this number and have enlisted over 80 bars across both Hong Kong and Singapore to join an innovative new pilot programme with sustainability at its core. The trial will see Pernod Ricard’s premium spirits transported in bulk and delivered to bars in ecoSPIRITS’ fully-reusable 4.5-litre ecoTOTE glass container. This will replace standard 75cl glass bottles and, once empty, can easily be returned to the company’s ecoPLANT for sanitisation and refilling.

Hong Kong bars that are currently slated to take part in this exciting pilot programme include firm favourites such as Tell Camellia, Draft Land and Shady Acres – with many more to follow. You should be able to see the ecoTOTE system rolled out in bars by the end of summer this year.

Once fully adopted, this simple-yet-intuitive programme will reduce carbon emissions by an impressive average of 66 percent across the two cities, when compared to the traditional packing and distribution of spirits.

To ensure buy-in, the scheme will be supported by the Bar World of Tomorrow initiative, which will team up with Food Made Good Hong Kong to host workshops that will help bartenders make sustainable changes in their venues; a similar scheme will be launched shortly in Singapore.

By creating a circular model for the beverages we all know and love, Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS are striving to develop a more sustainable bar culture in Hong Kong and Singapore. And we can all raise a glass to that.

Find out more at Pernod Ricard and ecoSPIRITS

See also: Hong Kong’s best eco cocktails

Sign up for the 8Shades weekly newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox!