Filipino wine brand Basi del Diablo opens up about reusing its own bottles and bottles from other brands. Basi del Diablo Wines used to buy wine bottles by the bulk but as supplies in their small warehouse dwindled, the brand decided to invest on bottle washing equipment.

“It was not just a financial decision. We had our promise to sustainable production in mind when we got equipment to sterilise bottles,” says Sigrid Salucop, the group’s CEO and Basi del Diablo Wines’ managing director.

The brand also used to outsource its bottling but the group has since halted said process to save on costs and to ensure that it remains true to its vision. According to the firm, the petrol and other resources used for delivering the wines in jars and getting them back to their Ilocos headquarters  is not in line with what the brand has been preaching about – sustainability and love for the environment. Aside from doing the bottling in-house, cleaning used bottles is another step to make the Basi del Diablo’s processes friendlier to the Earth.

A study done by Wine Bottle Renew, an American company that cleans used bottles, says that reusing wine bottles can reduce CO2 production by the metric tons.

“I had reservations about reusing bottles because of sanitation concerns but when we got our equipment, my worries were put to rest. This is a good move for us as a company since we know that it decreases our carbon footprint. Wineries use materials that take a lot of energy and resources to produce. We do not want to contribute to more CO2 in the atmosphere,” Salucop shares.

“Used bottles are now being returned by our buyers because they know about the brand’s and the group’s stand on sustainability. This helps us sleep better. We owe so much to the environment. It is the least we can do. We also want our message to resonate with others,” Salucop adds. 

It is noted that there are a number of successful bottle washing facilities in Europe and other parts of the world. Most of them clean and sterilise bottles from material recycling facilities. Basi del Diablo’s bottle washing and sterilising operation is small scale compared to said facilities and only meant to supply the needs of the brand.