Colombia’s Top Spirits Maker Wins Carbon Neutral Certification

Industria Licorera de Caldas, one of Colombia’s best-known spirits producers, has become the first company in the country to receive Carbon Neutral Footprint certification for its entire portfolio, a step that places sustainability at the center of its export strategy and its operations in the coffee-growing region around Manizales.

The company, known for rum, aguardiente, gin and rum cream, also said it has become the first spirits maker in Colombia and one of only 10 worldwide to obtain verified Water Footprint certification. The two certifications were presented as part of a broader effort to document environmental performance across production, packaging recovery and community programs.

Diego Angelillis Quiceno, general manager of Industria Licorera de Caldas, said the company sees sustainability as a responsibility tied to water sources, local communities and future generations. He said the goal is to show that spirits producers can protect ecosystems, support communities and grow at the same time.

The certifications come as global drinks companies face growing pressure from regulators, retailers and consumers to prove claims about emissions, water use and waste management. For exporters, verified environmental data can help with market access and compliance in regions where extended producer responsibility rules are becoming more common.

Industria Licorera de Caldas said its model is built around circular economy principles that cover the full life cycle of its products, from raw materials and packaging to recovery and reuse. The company said this approach is not limited to environmental messaging but is tied directly to commercial planning, including premium positioning and trust with international partners.

A central part of that system is ConexiónREP, a program focused on collecting and recycling glass bottles and other packaging. In the first half of 2025, the company said it recovered 1,869.5 tonnes of packaging, reaching 63% of its annual target in six months. Over the full year 2025, it recovered 3,277 tonnes of multi-material packaging and containers, equal to 110% of its target.

The program works with 85 recycling associations across Colombia and supports 1,820 families while creating 560 jobs. The company said those partnerships help formalize local recycling networks and keep more waste out of natural areas.

Recovered glass is turned into construction-grade glass sand that is being used in public spaces on San Andrés Island. The material is also being used in coral microfragmentation plugs developed with the Blue Indigo Foundation to support reef regeneration in one of Colombia’s most fragile marine environments.

The company has also linked recycling to education through Mi Escritorio, a program that turns recovered containers into school furniture. Since 2021, it has recycled more than 4.5 million containers, distributed 1,127 school supply kits and directly benefited 3,368 children. Industria Licorera de Caldas said the program has also prevented more than 5.9 tonnes of CO₂ emissions through material reuse.

Beyond environmental work, the company said it is verified under SMETA audits and follows the Ethical Trading Initiative code on labor standards, wages, workplace safety and workers’ rights. It said those measures are part of a broader effort to show that sustainability must include people as well as environmental performance.

Industria Licorera de Caldas is based in Manizales in Colombia’s coffee region and has long been one of the country’s established spirits producers. Its latest certifications place it among a small group of global spirits companies with independently verified claims on both carbon neutrality and water footprint management.