Smirnoff commits to a circular economy with glass reuse program

Smirnoff’s parent company is adopting a 10-year action plan to create a more sustainable world

Despite being 100% recyclable, glass frequently ends up in the trash – especially in bars and restaurants.

Vodka brand Smirnoff announced a glass recycling program to adopt a circular system for its products. This is just one initiative out of a broader plan, including a pledge to develop more sustainable packaging by 2030.

Pioneering in Chicago, the Don’t Trash Glass (DTG) campaign, a combined effort with the Glass Packaging Institute and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling, works with over 300 Chicago bars, restaurants, and local businesses to gather used glass bottles. Collected bottles will be processed by Smirnoff’s glass partners and transported to the Smirnoff packaging plant in Plainfield, Ill. Bottles created from recycled materials will be sent out to communities nationwide.

Additionally, Smirnoff will educate bartenders, back-of-house staff, employees, custodians and others who deal with waste management to encourage sustainable practices.

Diageo, the parent company of Smirnoff, has set a 10-year ESG action plan with several sustainability priorities. Their Pioneer grain-to-glass sustainability work includes preserving water, accelerating to a low-carbon world and becoming sustainable by design.

The Smirnoff glass-recycling pilot in Chicago is scalable, which means it could replicate in other cities. “This initiative is a good indicator of the need for systems to be put in place, not just in Chicago, but around the country to create a more circular economy for glass,” said Rose King, chief operating officer of GlassKing Recovery & Recycling.

In the meantime, Philly residents can recycle bottles with Remark Glass or other local programs.

Photo by Diageo North America

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