Diageo Sustainable Solutions

We're continually seeking new ideas that can help make a difference to our planet. Our open innovation programme, Diageo Sustainable Solutions (DSS), invests in new technologies and partnerships with start-ups to develop tomorrow's pioneering sustainability solutions.

How we are lightweighting our glass bottles

Overview

Innovating for the future

We set our Spirit of Progress targets with an “innovation gap”. Knowing that we don’t have all the answers, we created our DSS programme. This exciting programme invests in new technologies and partnerships with start-ups to unlock new ideas and solutions for adapting our supply chain and growing our brands in a more sustainable way.

We want to advance more sustainable technologies and practices across our business. We welcome new thinking and are eager to try new concepts, to advance a world that protects and nurtures our natural resources.

How does it work?

Since launching in 2020, we’ve shared some of the challenges we need to overcome to reach our sustainability goals and are asking innovators across the world to collaborate with us to find solutions with new-thinking sustainable technology. So, whether you have a disruptive solution ready to pilot or innovative technology you believe could apply to our industry, we are keen to hear from you – wherever you are based.

We will invest our time and experience, sharing our resources and assets where relevant, and will fund proof of concept pilots that we select from the breakthrough innovations. Past challenges have addressed topics such as carbon, water, packaging and agriculture.

We will be looking to post our next round of challenges (round 5) in late 2024.

Pilots

Since launching in 2020, we’ve launched three rounds of challenges where we’ve identified an area we need help with. These challenges have been across packaging, refill solutions and technology to support small-holder farmers in countries impacted by climate change.

Diageo Sustainable Solutions in numbers

3

rounds of challenges since 2020

14

pilots currently running from the DSS programme

Some of our current pilots

Lightweighting glass

In partnership with EXXERGY, Ardagh Group and 3DS (Dassault Systemes), we’re trialling how we can make our glass bottles lighter by using a coating to cover the micro-cracks on glass. This means the glass can be made using less carbon, without losing its strength and durability. With this technique, less carbon is also used in the transport of the products.

Using sensors to reduce water use on production lines

Many of our packaging sites use the same production lines to fill our bottles. When we’re switching over from one product to another, for example gin to vodka, these lines need to be completely clean, without traces of the liquid it was previously used for. For this cleaning process, water is used.

Data start up, 4T2 has developed new technology that enables us to have live data so we can switch lines more quickly to reduce our wastewater and energy overall. We’re now trialling the optimum amount of time needed to clean the lines for them to be usable, ensuring we’re not using more water than we need to.

Using technology to treat wastewater on site

Our breweries and distilleries often produce nutrient-rich water streams, which are wastewater. These streams require processing before being recycled or discharged.

Our pilot with Aquacycl uses innovative technology and locally sourced bacteria to clean the wastewater, reducing the amount of sludge in the water and producing direct electricity from the sludge. As the bacteria breaks down the sludge, it releases electrons which are captured as direct current and used to offset the power consumption of the system and accelerate treatment rates.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].