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After several months of operational planning, the coalition led by Circul’R and Eco in Pack—comprising eight companies (Bacardi-Martini France, Campari France, Cordier, Giffard, Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, and Rémy Cointreau) and three distributors (France Boissons, Richard Vins et Spiritueux, and C10-Centrale Européenne de Distribution) is launching its first trials of reused bottles under real-world conditions.
The program is initially being rolled out in the foodservice sector, leveraging the existing logistics networks of professional distributors, while returnable products will gradually become available in supermarkets starting in April, particularly in partner stores within the Carrefour network. Supported by UMVIN and FFS and backed financially and operationally by Citeo and Adelphe, this pilot phase is intended to test the technical, economic, and environmental performance of a shared reuse model.
A PILOT PROGRAM TO TEST REUSE IN REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS
In July 2025, Circul'R and Eco in Pack announced the launch of the Wine & Spirits Reuse Coalition, bringing together eight major industry players — Bacardi-Martini France, Campari France, Cordier, Giffard, Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, and Rémy Cointreau — alongside distributors France Boissons, Richard Vins et Spiritueux, and C10-Centrale Européenne de Distribution.
The goal: to collectively design a model for reusing glass bottles that can significantly reduce the sector’s environmental footprint, while remaining economically viable and operationally feasible for the entire industry. The goal is to collectively meet one of the concrete targets set by the AGEC law: 10% of packaging reused by 2027.
After several months of planning, the coalition defined the key parameters of the pilot program: deposit amounts and the range of items eligible for the deposit, selection of test areas, organization of logistics for collection and return transport, and washing solutions. This work paved the way for the successful implementation of the concept in the field.
The coalition is now rolling out its first products in returnable bottles, including Café de Paris (Cordier by InVivo), Cointreau (Rémy Cointreau), Crème de Fleur de Sureau and Menthe Pastille (Giffard), Get 27 (Bacardi), Picon (Campari Group), Ricard (Pernod Ricard), San José, and William Peel (Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits).
The pilot program is being rolled out primarily in the out-of-home sector, where it began in early 2026. The initiative leverages the existing logistics routes of Richard Vins et Spiritueux in the Île-de-France region, France Boissons in the Rennes area, and C10-Centrale Européenne de Distribution through its member Prolidis in Corrèze. The pilot program will be gradually expanded to 50 foodservice establishments.
Empty bottles are deposited by foodservice establishments in special crates designated for the coalition. They are collected by distributors during their rounds and then stored at their logistics hubs. The Eco In Pack washing center then collects them to sort, wash, and return them to the distributor for reintegration into the supply chain. This process allows for the integration of reuse into existing logistics flows without complicating operations for businesses.
In supermarkets, all returnable items will be available starting in April. The return process is managed by Loop, which operates the return stations and handles the return of packaging for consumers. Loop also handles the collection of empty bottles in stores, their traceability, sorting, and storage before they are transported to Eco In Pack’s washing center to be returned to circulation. The products are available in partner stores, particularly within the Carrefour network.
A SHARED MODEL TO MAKE REUSE SUSTAINABLE ACROSS AN INDUSTRY CHAIN
Packaging currently accounts for 30 to 40% of a full bottle’s carbon footprint. As a result, reusing glass bottles offers a clear environmental advantage over single-use glass after just two to four cycles. However, implementing this approach requires significant investment and close coordination among brands, retailers, and logistics providers.
This is precisely the goal of this coalition: to pool volumes, costs, and lessons learned in order to make the model economically and operationally viable. By sharing washing facilities, return logistics, and common standards—such as collection processes, return logistics, and communication tools—companies reduce individual risks and more quickly reach the volumes necessary for the successful operation of the reuse system.
This pilot phase is intended to test the entire reuse value chain under real-world conditions, while assessing its environmental and economic performance as well as its acceptance by both consumers and professionals. Several indicators will thus be monitored throughout the experiment (return rates, volumes collected and washed, breakage, post-wash quality, logistics costs, environmental impacts, and user adoption) in order to objectively assess the model’s viability and the conditions necessary for scaling up.
To this end, the project is receiving financial and operational support from Citeo and Adelphe, which are assisting with the launch of this pilot phase.
TWO COMPLEMENTARY AREAS OF EXPERTISE TO LEAD THE COALITION
At the heart of the initiative, Circul’R and Eco in Pack are responsible for the overall management of the project.
Circul'R, a consulting firm specializing in the circular economy, leads the coalition by facilitating working groups and establishing the collective governance and organizational models for reuse loops. The firm also provides support for economic modeling to align all stakeholders in the value chain around a shared vision.
Eco in Pack brings its industrial and technical expertise in reuse, particularly through its multi-format washing facility—capable of processing several million bottles a year—and its know-how in tailoring processes to the specific characteristics of wines and spirits.
By combining ecosystem facilitation with operational capacity, these two structures make it possible to turn a sector-wide vision into a concrete initiative.
“Reuse is a systemic challenge that cannot be tackled alone. By bringing brands, retailers, and operators together around the same table, this coalition allows us to pool our efforts, remove operational barriers, and test a credible model that can be replicated across the entire industry.” — Sixtine Jourde-Roussel, Director of Coalitions at Circul’R.
“We have confirmed the technical feasibility of washing and returning bottles to circulation. The challenge now is operational: proving that the model works in practice, within real-world logistics flows. It is this on-the-ground phase that will enable reuse to become a permanent part of the industry’s practices.” — Martin Calmettes, co-founder of Eco in Pack.
Press contacts
Circul’R - Sara Bonnet - sara.bonnet@circul-r.com - 06 08 68 56 83
Eco In Pack - Céline Brendel - celine.brendel@ecoinpack.com - 06 11 74 54 04
Adelphe - Louise Aelbrecht - adelphe@monet-rp.com – 07 78 90 67 68
Loop - Alice Newlyn - alice.newlyn@terracycle.com - +44 (0) 7425 814956
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