www.discardedspirits.com
Pioneers of the circular economy, Discarded Spirits Co continues to challenge perceptions on waste by creating rewearable face masks made entirely from litter.
On what is set to be the busiest day for the on-trade in over a year, sustainable spirit brand Discarded is launching a team of zero-waste warriors in Soho, London on Monday 12th April.
In a bid to change national waste disposal habits, Discarded’s zero-waste warriors will collect litter and lend a hand to local bars by encouraging consumers to recycle their waste; a problem seen at parks across the country caused by individuals failing to take responsibility for their litter.
Between April and July last year, local councils cleared an average of 57 tonnes* of additional waste from public areas and it was reported that park goers left the equivalent of 20 double decker* busloads of litter across London’s Royal Parks. To avoid a repeat of this mammoth waste, Discarded’s zero-waste warriors will support efforts in the capital to keep public areas clean, while supporting bartenders with sustainable PPE.
Last July, Discarded created hundreds of rewearable masks for bartenders across the country made using the excess byproduct of another mass consumed product: milk. Pioneers of the circular economy, Discarded’s latest innovation is driven by the brand’s commitment to safeguard the environment whilst supporting the on-trade as the country eases out of lockdown.
The system of disposability needs to be tackled at its root and as always, Discarded is committing to reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. For every bag of litter collected each day, Discarded will produce 10 new rewearable face masks.
Discarded is working with Interall – a company that recycles raw waste and plastics – to create sustainable, rewearable face-masks made from 91% recycled PET plastic.
Calum Fraser, UK Brand Ambassador, Discarded said: “When the hospitality industry reopens in the UK, every possible precaution will be taken in order to keep both drinkers and bartenders safe. PPE for workers is essential in this, especially as the majority of hospitality workers will not yet be eligible for a vaccine. 53 million masks a day were being sent to landfill in 2020, so we see making masks from waste plastic as starting to redress the imbalance while making venues safer for everyone.
‘Disposable’ PPE is building up in concerning volumes, so we’re hoping to encourage as many people as possible to move to reusable, sustainable alternatives.”
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Discarded offers two unique products with sustainability at its heart:
Discarded Banana Peel Rum, a fruity-forward rum turning what would otherwise be trash into treasure, is the latest product in Discarded Spirit Co’s growing sustainable portfolio.
The original purpose for the Caribbean rum that forms the base of Discarded Banana Peel Rum was to impart flavour to prepare empty whisky casks for the final phase of maturation. Traditionally, the rum is then often sold on or even disposed of. Available to buy from Ocado.com RRP £25
Discarded Cascara Vermouth, a sweet vermouth made from left-over cascara berries which are dried and fermented and then steeped in alcohol for two weeks to extract the optimum flavour.
During the coffee bean harvest, billions of tonnes of cascara, the leftover fruit, are discarded as waste. To combat this mammoth waste of produce, Discarded creatively reuses cascara to create a rich, fruity and refreshing vermouth like no other.
A key ingredient used to form the base of the unique vermouth is fortified wine, which itself has been creatively reused to season empty whisky casks; imparting flavour into the barrels ahead of whisky maturation. Available to buy from Waitrose RRP £19