Sapling Spirits is pleased to announce that it has been named winner of the Innovations in Packaging Award at the 2026 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards, recognising the brand’s pioneering approach to reducing packaging waste across the drinks industry. Sapling was also Highly Commended for the On Trade Sustainable Supplier of the Year Award.
Launched in 2019, Sapling’s leading trade refill system was the first of its kind for spirits in the UK. Its 5L refill box delivers 100 x 50ml serves and replaces seven 70cl bottles, keeping a reusable house bottle in service behind the bar rather than sending single-use glass into the waste stream.
Together with subsequent format innovations, Sapling’s refill systems have saved the equivalent of more than 300,000 bottles from production. Independent Product Carbon Footprint assessments conducted through ClimatePartner found that Sapling’s refill format generates 62.67g CO₂e, compared with 109.85g CO₂e for its standard vodka format, a reduction of approximately 43%.
Where refill is not practical, Sapling has developed alternative lower-impact formats, including aluminium, while also lightweighting its standard bottle. The brand has also published its refill design openly, enabling other producers to adopt the system without licence or cost, with the aim of encouraging wider adoption across the category.
