Dunnet Bay Distillers launches Rock Rose Gin in refill pouches

Dunnet Bay Distillers has released its Rock Rose Gin in recyclable refill pouches that can be returned to the company for free via the Royal Mail.

Once returned to the distillery in Scotland, the pouches will be collected by TerraCycle, which will recycle them into new items.

The innovation has been developed by Dunnet Bay in partnership with PA Consulting, an innovation and transformation consultancy.

Following more than 12 months of research and development, PA created a lightweight refill solution for current Rock Rose bottles. A four-layer laminate pouch has been selected to lock in the freshness of the gin, with an easy-to-use plastic spout closure.

Delivered and returned by post, the packaging has been designed to allow consumers to refill their ceramic bottles of Rock Rose Gin, for £4 less than the price of ordering a new bottle.

“We take sustainability incredibly seriously and have been working hard on our first to market recyclable pouches for over a year now,” said Martin Murray, co-founder of Dunnet Bay Distillers.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be the first brand to have secured the support of Royal Mail for a postal recycling scheme, which we believe will be embraced by our customers.

“In the near future, we plan to extend the scheme to bars, restaurants and shops, as well as making it available across all the spirits in our portfolio. What’s more, we are also offering in-store refills to customers at our distillery shop.”

Ryan McGinley, product design expert at PA Consulting, added: “We are delighted to have helped Dunnet Bay Distillers create an environmentally friendly solution that delivers real value to its distillery and customers.

“It took ingenuity to develop a flexible pack that could be sent direct to consumers, which not only eradicates the need to use a single use bottle but also reduces their costs. This is a great example of PA bringing ingenuity to life.’’

Earlier this year, Dunnet Bay Distillers added to its Holy Grass Vodka range with a new variant paired with coffee.