Gin Bothy And The Circular Economy
Angus has long since taken measures to put forth the right infrastructure, encouraged businesses to be more sustainable and promoted the growth of the circular economy where resources are valued and nothing is wasted.
Never before has the concept of a circular economy been more important than today. Our society’s ever increasing consumption rate is the root cause of much of the waste generated and the pollution that our environment suffers from. On average, a person in the UK consumes 8 tonnes of material and produces up to 4 tonnes of waste each year.
However, much of the waste linked to consumption can actually be recycled and re-used in the manufacturing process of other products or be reintroduced into the previous production line. This is the main idea of the circular economy concept; innovating supply chain processes and product life cycles in order for them to be sustainable, and creating a closed-loop, in which all elements that go into the creation of a product are reused, recycled or remanufactured instead of being discarded.
Local Kirriemuir business “Gin Bothy” follows the principle of a circular economy and is an excellent example for any business to follow.
Nestled in the rolling hills of the Angus Glens in Scotland, the company, then called “Jam Bothy”, was primarily focused on the production of delicious jams using local berries. Owner Kim Cameron noticed the excess of fresh berry juice and, following a suggestion from her mum, decided to experiment with the use of their excess juice in the production of gin, thus cutting out any waste. The company gradually shifted its main production of jam to the production of gin and the rest is history. This sustainable approach now works the other way round, with gin-infused fruit being made into jam.
Additionally to cutting out waste in its production process, Gin Bothy encourages its customers to bring the empty bottles back in exchange for a discount on their next purchase. By doing so, it promotes recycling and sustainability, the main ingredients for a circular economy.
