Absolut seeks creative sustainability ideas

The Absolut Creative Space sustainability hackathon took place over the weekend in a pop-up studio made out of four blue shipping containers in Stockholm. During the three-day hackathon, 16 innovators, creators, engineers and industrial designers were invited by The Absolut Company to come up with new ideas on how the company can find innovative solutions to its sustainability challenges. A creative refill solution was awarded by the jury.

During three hectic days, the 16 participants got to work on everything from the production process and use of materials to distribution and getting more consumers to recycle their bottles.

On Sunday, the jury announced the winning idea. The jury consisted of Anna Schreil, director product development and R&D at Absolut Vodka, Claes Bjäreholt, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Sverige, Ulf Skarin, editor in chief at Veckans Affärer, Fredrik Lundgren, CD Pond digital, Vincent Meunier, director, growth at The Absolut Company and Jean-François Roucou, director of sustainable performance at Pernod Ricard.

“We invited a new generation of innovators to get an outside perspective and to find more areas of our business that can be improved and even more sustainable. In that aspect, Creative Space was a success and during the weekend we received many creative ideas which we will evaluate and see how we can integrate into our operations,” says Anna Schreil.

The winning team consisted of an engineer, two designers and a sustainability entrepreneur. The winning idea was a refill solution in eco-design that would optimise transportation and have a great impact on sustainability. It was a disruptive innovation based on the brand’s long history and tradition of art and design.

The winning team:
Karl Andreasson, engineer and course developer at the Centre of Environment Development studies at Uppsala University.
Zsófia Réger, packaging designer from Nackademin, with a certain interest in eco-design and wrote her thesis on e-commerce packaging.
Elle Nikishkova, sustainability entrepreneur who works with up-cycling in Uppsala. She is also passionate about human rights, especially in Russia, amongst other countries.
Tien Pham, an industrial designer who works with laser cutters and 3D printers at Arduino Verkstad in Malmo, where he works with interaction design of educational products.

About Creative Space:
On www.absolutcreativespace.com you can read more about Creative Space and monitor the project in real time. Creative Space will be located in Gröndal to July 4th, 2015. The work space can be packed up and shipped to a new market. Creative Space Hackathon on The Absolut Company’s sustainability challenges took place June 12 to 14. On June 15 to July 2, Creative Space is open for ”Creative Action for Good”. Creative Space is designed by the architects Charlotte Stuveback and Astrid Skog from Skog & Stuveback in collaboration with interior designer and stylist Åsa Rosén from Tweek Interior.

The Absolut Company has the worldwide responsibility for the production, innovation and strategic marketing of Absolut Vodka, Malibu, Kahlúa, Wyborowa, Luksusowa och Frïs. Absolut Vodka is the world’s fourth largest premium spirits brand. Every bottle of Absolut Vodka is produced in Åhus, southern Sweden. Malibu is the number one rum-based coconut spirit in the world, sold in more than 150 countries. Kahlúa coffee liqueur is the world leader in its category. The head office is located in Stockholm, Sweden. The Absolut Company is a part of Pernod Ricard.

18 June 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor