5 sustainable manufacturing actions at our Absolut vodka distillery

So, what are some of the sustainability efforts that we are dedicated to? We’ve decided to reach out to Anna Schreil, the VP of Operations, to delve into life in Åhus, the integral role of the local community, and the remarkable sustainability initiatives driving our passion at Absolut.

The heart of the production beats within the village of Åhus, where most employees reside. With a steady influx of visitors and tourists, being a responsible neighbor and citizen is essential. Absolut strives to avoid causing pollution, odors, or noise, focusing on harmonious coexistence with the local community.

Anna Schriels talks to us about how the “One source of one community” philosophy extends to creating employment opportunities and that Absolut plays a pivotal role as an employer and collaborates with local suppliers, thus generating job prospects in the region and how Absolut Home, a vibrant hub of experiences, welcomes guests to explore the brand’s world through its restaurants, bars, events, and activities.

The commitment to sustainability can also be seen in our supply chain. The majority of our suppliers are based in the region or in southern Sweden, providing essential materials such as glass bottles, caps, shipping boxes, and wheat. This proximity facilitates strong relationships, shared priorities, and a focus on delivering high-quality products.

It’s evident that sustainability is a natural part of our production in Åhus and that it’s something employees are passionate about, so we asked our VP of operations, Anna Schreil to list the five most notable sustainability efforts that she is extra proud of.

1. Energy efficiency: The Distillery in Nöbbelöv, close to Åhus, where the spirit is produced, is one of the world’s most energy-efficient distilleries in the world. We offset the small number of emissions that remain through tree planting in Mexico handled by Plan Vivo, and that way, our distillery has been net carbon neutral since 2013. In fact, one of our goals for 2025 is for our production to be completely fossil-free.
2. Zero waste: An example is stillage. When you produce spirit, there is a by-product from the distillation called stillage, and much more than usual if you’re producing vodka. This by-product is fed to pigs and cows every day, as it is a nutritious formula.
3. Waste-spirit-distillation: When you clean the equipment on our bottling lines, you get a mix of water and spirits. For instance, when you clean the equipment between the bottling of two different flavors. This blend of water and spirits actually holds some energy, so we ship it back to the distillery and use it as fuel.
4. Recycling: We don’t send anything to landfill, not 1 kilo. Everything is sorted and recycled or reused.
5. Climate-smart transportation: We have a climate-smart transport solution between our facilities in the form of electric hybrid trucks from the distillery to the bottling in Åhus and the filled bottles from bottling to the warehouse in the local harbor.

Want to know more about our sustainability initiatives? Head over to our sustainability page, where we dive in to the related topics.