Would you be happy to top up your own gin if it meant that you could a) save a few pounds and b) save the environment?
In a two-birds-one-stone manner, two Welsh drinks companies have just launched every gin lover’s dream: a refill station.
To save on waste when it comes to booze bottles, Cheers Wine Merchants and The Gower Gin Company have teamed up to create an environmentally-conscious alternative to purchasing alcohol.
But unless you live locally, you’ll have to travel to take advantage of this initiative – as it’s currently only offered in one shop.
The station, which features multiple five-litre mason jars, can be found in Mumbles, a small seaside town in South Wales (that’s around four hours away by car for those of you in London looking for a G&T).
‘We’re always looking to innovate and a discussion with Andrew Brooks of Gower Gin about how we can make both our businesses more environmentally-friendly resulted in the refilling station idea,’ said Dafydd Morris, director at Cheers.
Shoppers who need a refill can simply bring in their own empty gin bottles and top these up with a gin-based tipple of their choice from Gower Gin.
The spirits brand won gold awards at the 2020 World Gin Awards earlier this year, and has some unusual flavours up for sampling, including pine and bara brith (basically hints of Welsh tea loaf).
‘We are mindful of our impact on the environment and think this is a great way to encourage customers to re-use their bottles, and as refills are £5 cheaper than buying a new bottle, we’re confident it will be a success,’ added the aforementioned Andrew Brooks from Gower Gin.
While this is thought to be a first for Wales, the idea has actually already been implemented in other areas of the UK.
In 2019, owners of NB Distillery in Scotland, Vivienne and Steve Muir, embarked on mission to make their business as sustainable as possible, by offering their customers a refill alternative on vodka, gin and rum.
To reduce the climate cost of transport, the pair also switched from a bottle manufacturer in Italy to a local one in the UK.
But it’s not just the spirits industry that is receiving a sustainability push.
Back in 2018, the Canary Wharf Group placed trackable water refill stations around its shopping malls, and soon Beauty Kitchen will introduce top-up locations where customers can get shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand wash and facial cleanser.
We can’t wait to see what’s next. Tonic, perhaps?
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/01/drinks-company-launches-gin-refill-station-help-environment-12329559/?ITO=squid
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