Jack Murphy
Preston Parsons
Wengel Gemu
Lepa Galeb
Alexa Castrence
Charlene Kay
Loyola Marymount University
Jeff Thies
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Since entering the market in 2017, Nosotros Tequila has been a pioneer of “doing things differently” within the alcohol and spirits industry. The business has high quality offerings of both tequila and mezcals and serves 9 different states in the United States. Headquartered in El Segundo and distilling in Mexico, Nosotros have been industry leaders in both gender equality and responsible consumption and production. These two aspects of the business truly define who Nosotros is. In an industry dominated by men, Nosotros Tequila’s mission of inclusivity has driven the business to become trailblazers of women empowerment within the industry and have great success to show for themselves. Beyond women empowerment, the business has integrated their Costa Rican heritage and values of environmental sustainability into all corners of their business, utilizing recycled glass and a simple bottle to convey this message. Since being founded by Carlos Soto and Michael Arbonos as a Loyola Marymount University business project, Nosotros business leaders have been trying to operate their business in the most efficient and sustainable way possible in order to meet the needs of both their customers and society as a whole. It is abundantly clear that Nosotros has found an optimal middle ground between environmental sustainability, social issues, and operational efficiency.
The innovation that Nosotros Tequila brings forth is their utilization of 100% recycled glass. Luis Kay notes that they are constantly “trying [their] best to produce as little waste as possible. Having waste will be inevitable but it's most important to make sure you are actively trying to lessen the waste you create.” Nosotros continues to try to leave the earth better than the way they found it. Nosotros made this investment during COVID as glass was in short supply for procurement in 2020. They purchased the glass from areas in Mexico where they make their product. As a resolution they turned to recycled glass which also aided in their operations and logistics. They never turn down glass and source glass from anywhere and everywhere. They find that most of their glass comes from street vendors in Guadalajara, Mexico. From these scraps, they break it down, melt it, and reuse it. From here, they create the bottle and melt their logo onto the bottle. The leftover bottles from production, as well as extras from Los Angeles, are then sold to candlemakers for them to reuse and sell candles. Though this began as a supply chain issue during COVID, they found that they enjoy the rustic look that the reused glass gives, while creating a positive impact for the economy, environment, and society. The reused glass raises their production costs by 25-30%, but it relates to their sense of mission. They have a “Pura Vida” vision, or a mission of a pure and simple life while leaving the earth a better place. Additionally this relates to the UN SDGs, specifically SDG number 11 for "responsible consumption and production."
Nosotros was started by CEO Carlos Soto and Michael Arbanas. Carlos and Michael are Hispanic, with Carlo’s family originating from Costa Rica. Due to this fact, Carlos and Michael naturally gravitated towards tequila. Tequila as many know, originates from Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, and is a very common spirit and heavily embedded in the heritage amongst Latin American countries as well as the United States of America. With heritage in mind, and the fact that they had high interests in the alcohol industry, Carlos and Michael chose to enter the tequila industry and visited distilleries and bottle manufacturers in Jalisco. It was not until Covid-19 that the original idea for their innovation came out when the two decided to switch to recycled glass due to glass being in short supply for procurement. They realized the benefits of recycling glass for the environment and chose to go that route despite the higher price to manufacture bottles. The recycled glass also gives the bottle a rustic look quality with bubbles, which the company really enjoyed as it added texture and personality. The motivation for Nosotros’ innovation with creating recycled bottles originated from Covid-19 as it was the “push” that led the company to realize they needed to care more for sustainability and the environment. Many issues arose during Covid including the fact that glass was in short supply. Another purpose for the recycled glass bottles was simply for the marketing and packaging sense as it was the perfect environmentally friendly option that also allowed for a cool, rustic textured bottle which as Luis Kay stated, “ It gives it a rustic unique look, while still being a sturdy bottle. Most brands prefer using a clear bottle which would have been cheaper but this was the look we preferred because it was unique and better for the environment” (Luis Kay).
The collective spirit driving the mission of Nosotros is to leave the world a better place than they found it. Their passion for environment and sustainability is authentic and central to the brand pillars of which Nosotros has developed from the very beginning. Despite being a more costly measure for the business, Nosotros has invested itself fully in glass recycling efforts to reduce environmental waste and support of sustainability goals. Its dedication to these efforts are supported not only by it’s packaging but going above and beyond to repurpose whatever glass cannot be used into candle making. This impact not only creates more opportunity for Nosotros to eliminate glass waste from landfills, but opportunity for other local Los Angeles markets to engage in sustainable business practices. Nosotros greatest impact is not merely in the innovative and eco-friendly measures they pursue, but by extending collective participation in its efforts as well. Partnership with local businesses, glass suppliers, among other grassroots initiatives and foundations makes the impact a collective one that exists outside the brand itself. Even with its female owned and operated distillery, Nosotros actively seeks opportunity to support and highlight change by incorporating them as a part of the brand. This creates a culture where its ethos and innovation can inspire others and continually flourish in the places its been established outside of itself.
While the company spends more money on recycling the broken glass than they would just buying clear bottles, the rustic look of their containers adds their own personality and style that can be easily discernable from their competition. This distinction also helps Nosotros build a clientele network of people who care for the environment. Those who only purchase sustainable, and earth-conscious products can rest assured that their favorite tequila is at the forefront of sustainability practices. This loyal customer base can go on to promote the Nosotros brand by recommending the tequila to their friends. Another benefit the business receives is more indirectly from the people Nosotros employs. Their staff can go into work every day and be proud of what they are doing to promote sustainability and social well-being. This pride will no doubt turn into a more motivated and productive working environment that the business can benefit from.
Since Nosotros decided to use recycled glass completely, this ends up benefiting the society and the environment. Glass is able to be melted down and then processed into a few different forms. It can be melted down from drinking glasses to glass fiber. The glass is then taken to a recycling plant and broken up into pieces called cullet. “The cost savings of recycling is in the use of energy. Compared to making glass from raw materials for the first time, cullet melts at a lower temperature. So we can save on energy needed to melt the glass. Glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%. Recycling glass reduces the space in landfills that would otherwise be taken up by used bottles and jars” (“Recycling Glass - How It Helps Environment.”). Because of glass recycling, a lot of raw materials are saved and natural resources are preserved. Also, glass recycling helps in saving energy as cullet melts at a lower temperature than raw materials (“Sustainability & the Environment”). This is a big benefit for society because it saves a lot of money and in the long run benefits the environment.
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Luis Kay, Logistics and Operation Manager
