The Diageo-owned brand is debuting the new packaging in duty-free shops at international airports in Europe this month, including Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt International and Copenhagen International.
The bottles will then be available in supermarkets and drinks retailers in Germany this May.
While the current glass bottles used to house 70cl formats of Baileys weigh 454g, the new bottles weigh just 85g.
Due to the reduction in weight and the material change, Baileys is expecting a 44% reduction in the life-cycle carbon footprint of this packaging option.
Moreover, both the glass and the aluminium formats are recyclable but aluminium is touted as infinitely recyclable with no reduction in material quality through each processing cycle. The new bottles do contain a plastic thread on the bottleneck, weighing 4g. The packaging can be placed into household recycling intact.
“As the largest global spirits brand to join the B Corp movement, we are proud to drive our progress in the community with our latest innovation to deliver positive impact,” said Baileys’ global brand director Sarah Blake.
“While this is an important milestone for Baileys, we know that there is more we can do. We are already looking forward to the delivery of more initiatives as we journey towards our 2030 commitments.”
Diageo’s overarching corporate sustainability strategy includes a target to reduce packaging weight by 10% this decade and to increase the recycled content in packaging to 60%. Additionally, by 2030, all packaging must be widely recyclable, reusable or compostable.
The strategy also includes a 1.5C-aligned science-based emissions target for indirect (Scope 3) emissions. Diageo has committed to halving absolute Scope 3 emissions by 2030, against a 2020 baseline year.
Because packaging contributes to one-third of the company’s total Scope 3 carbon emissions, innovating to deliver lighter packaging and incorporate different materials will contribute significantly to the delivery of the company’s climate plans.