In a pioneering move within the cruise industry, a novel pilot program is bringing closed-loop packaging to CCL-Carnival Cruise Line ships, spearheaded by a collaborative effort involving Bacardi, a renowned family-owned spirits company, and ecoSPIRITS, an innovative circular economy technology firm.
The core objective of the pilot is to assess the viability of integrating ecoSPIRITS' reusable containers for serving BACARDI rum on Carnival ships, leading to an impressive reduction of 95% in single-use packaging. This transformative concept will undergo a 3-month trial on three CCL vessels departing from PortMiami: Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Sunrise.
To facilitate this innovative partnership with Bacardi and Carnival, ecoSPIRITS has crafted a customized variant of its patent-pending closed-loop glass packaging format (the ecoTOTE 3.0SC Cruise Edition) specially designed for the maritime setting. Each ecoTOTE is a sustainable replacement for about four bottles of BACARDI Superior rum and can be utilized, cleaned, and refilled ~100 times, creating an efficient closed-loop system.
BACARDI Superior rum, recognized for its excellence and popularity across the CCL fleet, was selected for this program. The transition from the ecoTOTE to the serving format employs ecoSPIRITS' SmartPour technology. The ships will incorporate new BACARDI-branded SmartPour devices in select bars, enabling the beverage team to craft cocktails featuring BACARDI Superior rum.
ecoSPIRITS, a trailblazer in circular economy technology, initially introduced its pioneering closed-loop system – the world's first low carbon, low waste distribution solution for premium spirits and wine – back in 2018.
In a holistic approach, this collaboration also aligns with the ecoSPIRITS Oceans Program. With every ecoTOTE deployed as part of the pilot, a contribution will be directed toward the removal of over two pounds of single-use plastic, glass, and other artificial debris from vulnerable marine environments.
Presently, CCL recycles single-use glass items, maintaining recycling rooms on each ship to facilitate the sorting of paper, plastic, and glass by the crew. In 2022, CCL effectively managed to recycle 11+ million pounds of recyclable materials, demonstrating the company's commitment to sustainable practices.