Spirits maker Bacardi (Hamilton / Bermuda; www.bacardilimited.com) has unveiled plans to create a bottle that can biodegrade in 18 months, and its signature rum is expected to be the first product to appear in the new bottle in a rollout scheduled for 2023.

The company said it expects to introduce the new bottles as replacements for single-use plastics across its entire supply chain and the rest of its 200 brands, which include Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, Patrón tequila, Martini vermouth and Dewar’s Scotch whisky. The goal is to remove around 80m bottles – 3,000 t of plastics – currently used annually across its portfolio of brands.

Bacardi collaborated with biodegradable products developer Danimer Scientific (Bainbridge, Georgia / USA; www.danimerscientific.com) and uses the US company’s “Nodax“ polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a biopolymer made from the oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy. Nodax is said to biodegrade to 100% in various environments including compost, soil, freshwater and seawater.

The Bermudian company said it is also creating a sustainably sourced paper bottle by integrating Nodax PHA in its design. Developers are also currently attempting to address the issue of plastic lining for bottle closures.